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t-UBRARY^. 


SEAT  WEAVING 


BY 

L.  DAY  PERRY 

Supervisor  of  Manual  Training,  Joliet,  Illinois, 

and  Instructor,  Department  Esthetic  and  Industrial  Education, 

Summer  Quarters,  The  University  of  Chicago 


THE  MANUAL  ARTS  PRESS 

PEORIA,  ILLINOIS 


Copyright,   1917,  by 
L.  Day  Perry 


T  \ 


FOREWORD 

Woodworking  shops  in  manual  training  schools  far  outnumber 
those  for  other  manual  activities,  and  as  a  result,  courses  in  wood- 
work have  come  to  be  termed  the  stable  courses  in  a  handwork 
curriculum.  However,  experience  in  woodwork  alone  is  not  suf- 
ficient, and  needs  to  be  supplemented  by  other  and  more  varied 
activities  to  give  to  the  boy  a  proper  foundation  for  choice  of 
vocation. 

A  definite  way  to  produce  necessary  variety  as  applied  to  wood- 
work, especially  if  woodwork  is  the  only  course  offered,  is  thru  the 
use  of  such  mediums  as  cane,  reed,  rush,  splints  and  allied  materials 
in  correlation  with  the  wood.  These  materials  add  life  to  the 
problems  and  generally  arouse  interest  and  enthusiasm  in  the  work 
at  hand.  The  result  is  careful  application  to  construction  details, 
with  resultant  appreciation  of  constructive  design. 

It  would,  prove  a  difficult  task  to  make  a  fair  estimate  of  the 
value  such  mediums  have  in  manual  training  shops.  Their  use 
produces  very  definite  reactions  upon  boys  who  could  not  be  reached 
by  woodwork  alone,  awakening  them  to  a  new  interest  in  their 
work  and  making  them  more  workmanlike  and  exacting  in  con- 
struction. 

There  exists  some  element  in  such  mediums  which  cannot  be 
defined,  but  which  nevertheless  stimulates  the  average  or  mediocre 
boy,  as  well  as  the  exceptional  one,  to  produce  the  best  work  of 
which  he  is  capable.  Experience  with  these  materials  utilized  in 
correlation  with  wood  will  prove  the  truth  of  these  statements  and 
demonstrate  that  they  are  not  only  worth  while,  but  necessary  to 
any  well-rounded  course  in  wood. 

The  originals  of  the  projects  illustrated  by  the  photographs  were, 
with  few  exceptions,  constructed  by  boys  of  average  ability  in  the 
eighth  grade.  They  indicate  the  character  of  work  which  may  be 
3 


expected  of  boys  in  that  grade,  and,  in  a  measure,  the  first  two  years 
of  high  school. 

Practically  the  entire  emphasis  is  laid  upon  weaving  as  applied 
to  some  form  of  seat,  either  as  a  decorative  feature  or  as  a  necessary 
part  of  the  structure.  These  materials  may  be  utilized  in  various 
ways  on  varied  types  and  forms  of  furniture  other  than  seats,  a  few 
of  which  are  suggested.  Experience  with  them  will  lead  the  worker 
to  new  and  interesting  fields  of  a  distinctly  educational  nature. 

Joliet,  Illinois,  November,   1916. 

L.   DAY   PERRY. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

Acknowledgments  are  hereby  made  to  The  Bruce  Publishing 
Co.,  for  permission  to  re-use  the  material  in  Chapters  I  and  II 
which  appeared  in  The  Industrial  Arts  Magazine  in  a  modified 
form;  to  The  Periodical  Publishing  Co.,  for  the  photograph  shown 
in  the  frontispiece ;  to  M.  F.  Gleason,  Joliet,  for  the  sketches  shown 
in  Figs.  5,  6  and  8;  to  T.  S.  Moore,  Joliet,  for  his  cooperation  in 
all  the  photographic  work;  and  to  the  instructors  in  the  Joliet 
Department  of  Manual  Training  who  have  assisted  in  working  out 
a  number  of  the  problems. 

L.   IX    P. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

FOREWORD    3,  4 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4 

CHAPTER  I. — CANING;  THE  SEVEN  STEPS 7 

Cane 7,  8 

Equipment  8,  9 

Beginning  the  Operation 9,  10 

The  Seven  Steps  in  Caning 10-14 

CHAPTER  II. — CANING  SUGGESTIONS 15 

Irregular  Areas 17-21 

Five-Step  Caning 2 1 ,  22 

The  Design  Element 22-25 

CHAPTER  III. — RESEATING  A  CHAIR;  HAND  CANING.  .  .  26 

The  Process 27-3 1 

Refinishing ' 31-33 

CHAPTER  IV. — RESEATING  A  CHAIR;  CANE  WEBBING.  .  .  34 

The  Process 3  5-40 

CHAPTER  V. — RUSH  SEATING 41 

Historical ., 4i~42 

Rush 42-43 

Other  Materials 43~44 

Preparation  of  Materials 44—46 

The  Weaving  Process 46—49 

Rectangular  Seats 49—50 

Irregular  Seats 50—51 

Suggestions 5 1-54 

Finish  54 

CHAPTER  VI. — REED  AND  SPLINT  WEAVING 55 

Primitive  Methods 56-57 

Bleaching  57~58 

Staining 58-59 

Other  Materials 59-62 

CHAPTER  VII. — SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS 63 

Indian  Splints 72-79 

A  Rustic  Chair 79-80 

A  Woven  Table 81 

Willows  81-82 

WEAVING  MATERIALS  :  Where  to  Obtain 84 


Courte.ii/,  Periodical  Publishiii;/  CD. 

A    TYPICAL    ALLEY    SCENE    IN    HONG    KONG    SHOWING    NATIVE    MEN     AM) 
WOMEN   SORTING  AND  STRIPPING   RATTAN. 


CHAPTER  I 

CANING;  THE  SEVEN  STEPS 

That  caning  has  not  been  undertaken  to  any  appreciable  extent 
in  school  shops  is  due  to  the  fact  that  instructors  are  unfamiliar 
\vith  the  weaving  processes.  Caning  is  not  difficult.  It,  in  common 
with  many  other  lines  of  activity,  is  best  learned  thru  observation. 
However,  it  may  be  undertaken  by  the  average  person  after  careful 
study  of  printed  directions  and  illustrations.  If  the  worker  will 
closely  observe  his  own  work  as  it  progresses,  and  follows  ins,truc- 
tions  carefully,  he  should  have  no  unusual  difficulty  in  caning  an 
area  very  acceptably  in  the  initial  attempt.  Particular  attention 
should  be  paid  to  directions  which  tell  of  errors  to  avoid.  Errors 
creep  in,  in  a  very  unobtrusive  manner  at  times,  and  the  amateur 
will  find  them  hard  to  detect. 

Cane. — Cane  is  the  name  applied  to  a  great  number  of  plants 
which  possess  long,  slender,  reedlike  stems.  The  name  should  apply 
only  to  a  class  of  palms  called  rattans.  These  plants  are  found 
thruout  the  Indian  Archipelago,  China,  India,  Ceylon,  and  the 
Malay  Peninsula.  They  grow  in  dense,  dark  forests  and  form  a 
matted  undergrowth  which  makes  passage  difficult  or  impossible. 
These  palms  are  trailing  in  tendency,  yet  frequently  grow  to  tree 
height.  They  then  fall  over  and  lie  on  the  ground.  The  stem  is 
covered  with  beautiful  green  foliage,  grows  to  a  length  of  100  to 
300  ft.,  and  rarely  exceeds  I  in.  in  diameter.  The  stems  are  cut 
into  lengths  of  10  to  20  ft.  for  export.  The  outer  bark  is  stripped 
into  widths  varying  from  1/16  to  3/16  in.  These  strips  are  put 
into  hanks  of  1,000  lineal  feet  each.  The  cane  is  then  ready  for 
the  cane  weaver.  A  hank  of  cane  costs  from  60  cents  to  $i.  The 
width  of  the  cane  and  its  quality  determines  the  price  per  hank. 
It  may  be  purchased  from  any  upholstery  supply  house. 


8  SEAT  WEAVING 

Cane  is  named  from  the  narrowest  to  the  widest  in  order: 
carriage,  superfine,  fine-fine,  fine,  medium,  common,  narrow  binder, 
and  wide  binder.  Cane  from  India  has  a  very  glossy  surface,  while 
that  from  other  localities  is  duller.  The  right  side  of  the  cane  is 
easily  determined  by  this  glossiness. 

Cane  for  weaving  purposes  should  not  be  confused  with  the 
popularly  called  cane  or  bamboo  of  our  southern  states,  where  it 
forms  the  well  known  cane-brakes.  This  cane  rarely  exceeds  a 
height  of  20  ft.  It  grows  rapidly  and  very  straight,  and  to  an 


FIG.    1.      THE  CANING    NEEDLE. 

appreciable  diameter.  Such  cane  is  used  for  bamboo  furniture, 
walking  sticks,  poles,  etc.  The  ordinary  domestic  sugar  cane,  also, 
should  not  be  confused  with  seating  cane. 

Equipment. — The  tools  needed  in  cane  weaving  are  few  in 
number.  A  special  one  is  called  the  caning  needle.  This  may  be 
made  in  the  school  shop.  Fig.  i  shows  a  working  drawing  of  the 
needle.  Its  length  is  variable,  depending  upon  the  work  at  hand. 
It  is  desirable  to  have  a  number  of  different  lengths.  The  tool  is 
made  of  good  flexible  steel  wire.  This  is  flattened  at  one  end,  an 
eye  cut  in  it,  blunt  pointed,  and  slightly  curved  as  indicated.  The 
other  end  is  inserted  in  an  ordinary  small  tool  handle,  extended 
thru  and  riveted.  The  riveting  prevents  the  wire  from  drawing 
out  of  the  handle  under  a  pulling  strain. 

The  other  tools  needed  are  a  scratch  awl,  and  a  pair  of  scissors 
or  knife.  A  button-hook  with  the  hook  straightened  or  cut  off 


CANING;  THE  SEVEN  STEPS 


may  take  the  place  of  the  awl.  A  pair  of  dividers  and  rule  are 
necessary  for  marking.  Several  wood  pegs  are  needed.  These  may 
be  classed  with  the  tools.  They  are  made  from  a  %  in.  dowel  rod, 
or  the  equivalent.  Cut  them  about  4  in.  long  and  point  them  as 
you  would  a  lead  pencil.  The  amateur  is  inclined  to  use  a  number 
of  pegs.  Four  should  prove  amply  sufficient. 

Beginning  the  Operation. — Fig.  2  is  a  photograph  of  an  up- 
holstered leg  rest  with  caned  sides.  This  rest  will  be  used  for  our 
initial  work  in  cane  weaving,  in- 
asmuch as  the  area  for  caning  is 
rectangular.  It  is  not  advisable 
for  the  beginner  to  have  his  initial 
experience  on  a  chair  seat,  for  the 
area  is  usually  of  an  odd  shape, 
and  arms,  legs,  and  back  interfere. 
However,  any  rectangular  area 
on  which  there  are  no  projections 
to  bother  may  be  used  for  the  first 
trial. 

It  is  assumed  that  the  sides 
of  the  rest  have  been  fitted.  The 
rails  and  stiles  are  then  assembled 

with  glue,  without  the  posts.  When  the  glue  has  set  the  proper 
length  of  time,  and  the  frame  is  cleaned  and  sanded,  the  rails  and 
stiles  are  ready  to  dimension. 

Draw  pencil  lines  entirely  around  the  inner  sides  of  the  rails  and 
stiles,  y2  in.  from  the  edges.  This  distance  remains  constant, 
usually,  on  all  areas  and  with  canes  the  various  widths.  With  a 
pair  of  dividers  set  at  y2  in.  space  off  points  on  the  pencil  lines, 
starting  from  the  intersection  of  the  extended  lines  on  each  rail. 
Fig.  3  is  a  working  drawing  of  a  corner,  dimensioned  as  suggested. 
It  will  make  clearer  the  directions.  It  is  fundamental  that  the 
spacing  be  done  in  the  same  direction  on  parallel  rails,  for  at  times 


FIG.  2.      LEG  REST. 


II) 


SEAT  WEAVING 


the  last  space  will  be  a  short  l/2  in.  or  whatever  dimension  is  used. 
In  such  cases  it  is  necessary  to  redivide  the  last  several  spaces  into 
divisions  as  near  y2  in.  as  possible.  It  thus  becomes  obvious  why 
spacing  must  be  done  in  one  direction  as  stated.  This  applies  to 
all  rectangular  frames. 

With  a  3/1 6  in.  wood  bit  bore  holes  thru  the  rails  and  stiles  at 
the  points  marked.     Countersink  the  holes  slightly  on  the  underside 


FIG.  3.   SKETCH  OF  CORNER  FOR  CANING. 


HH 
cp    9 


of  the  frame.  This  is  not  absolutely  neces- 
sary but  aids  considerably  in  locating  the 
holes,  and  in  other  ways.  In  shops  where 
power  machinery  is  available  a  vertical  borer 
may  be  used  for  this  purpose.  It  is  best  to 
carefully  mark  the  points  for  boring  with  a  center  punch.  The 
twist  bit  will  then  start  accurately  and  the  danger  for  getting  out 
of  line  will  be  reduced  to  a  minimum.  The  dimensions  given  here 
are  for  fine-fine  cane.  Use  sandpaper  to  remove  pencil  lines  and 
rough  edges  left  from  boring;  then  clamp  the  frame  over  the  edge 
of  a  table  or  bench  with  a  carriage  clamp;  sit  while  doing  the 
weaving. 

The  Seven  Steps  in  Caning. — Fig.  4  shows  the  seven  steps  in 
caning.  Refer  to  this  photograph  thruout  the  following  directions. 
The  numbers  on  the  photograph  refer  to  the  steps. 

Step  i.  A  hank  of  cane  should  be  soaked  for  a  few  minutes  in 
warm  water,  or  longer  in  cold.  Do  not  soak  it  too  long.  Start  a 
strand  by  drawing  one  end  thru  a  hole. next  to  a  corner  hole,  and 
let  it  project  about  3  in.  below.  Fasten  with  a  peg.  Then  starting 


CANING;   THE  SEVEN  STEPS  11 

at  the  peg,  pull  the  entire  strand  thru  the  thumb  and  forefinger  to 
prevent  twisting,  and  pull  the  end  down  thru  the  hole  on  the 
opposite  parallel  rail  next  to  the  corner  hole,  and  then  up  thru  the 
hole  next  to  it.  See  that  the  right  side  of  the  cane  is  out  on  the 


FIG.    4.      THE    SEVEN    STEPS   IN    CANING. 

underside  of  the  frame  as  on  the  top.  Pull  the  cane  reasonably 
taut,  and  fasten  with  a  peg  to  prevent  the  strand  from  slipping  back 
and  becoming  loose.  Draw  the  cane  thru  the  thumb  and  forefinger 
again ;  pull  it  across  the  frame  and  down  thru  the  hole  next  to  the 
peg  and  up  thru  the  hole  next  to  it.  Pull  taut  and  fasten  with  the 


^-a. 
m    v 


12  SEAT  WEAVING 

second  peg.     This  operation  is  repeated  until  all  holes  have  been 
utilized  on  the  two  parallel  rails,  except  those  on   the  corners. 
Thruout  the  seven  operations  it  is  necessary  that  the  cane  be  ke- 
from  twisting  by  drawing  the  remaining  part  of  the  strand  th 
thumb  and  forefinger. 

Step  2.    The  second  step  is  identical  with  the  first,  with  the  dif- 
ference that  the  other  two  parallel  rails  are  used,  and  that  the 
canes  run  over  the  first  set  of  parallel 
canes.     If  the  first  strand  of  cane  ha 
not  been  entirely  used  up  in  the  firs 

FIG.    5.      METHOD  OF   TYING  •     j          •  i         - 

ENDS  OF  CANE.  steP>  the  remainder  is  used  to  begiy 

the  second  step. 

Step  j.  This  step  is  a  repetition  of  the  first  two.  The  canes  o 
this  series  run  over  the  first  and  second  series  and  parallel  with  th" 
first.  As  each  strand  is  used  up  bind  the  end  by  pulling  it  undei 
a  cane,  crossing  from  one  hole  to  another  underneath  the  frame 
and  cutting  off  about  %  m-  from  the  cane.  Fig.  5  shows  how  thi: 
binding  is  done.  The  loose  end  at  the  starting  point  is  tied  in  thi 
way,  and  all  subsequent  ones  should  be  tied  as  they  come,  thu 
avoiding  interference  by  many  pegs,  and  insuring  neat  binding. 

Step  4.  The  actual  weaving  begins  with  this  step.  It  may  b 
done  entirely  by  hand,  without  resort  to  the  needle,  but  it  is  slov  \ 
work.  The  needle  should  be  used.  Start  at  a  hole  next  to  a  corner 
on  either  rail  that  has  been  used  but  once,  working  from  caned  side 
toward  the  open  frame.  Go  over  and  under  the  strands  necessary 
to  form  the  weave,  turning  the  needle  from  side  to  side  in  order  to 
catch  the  canes  behind  the  point.  When  across  thread  the  needle 
with  the  strand  and  pull  thru,  being  careful  to  avoid  a  twist.  Pull 
the  end  down  thru  the  hole,  pairing  the  canes.  Pull  the  cane  up 
thru  the  next  hole;  then  start  the  needle  from  the  opposite  side  of 
the  frame  and  repeat  the  first  operation,  thus  pairing  another  set 
of  canes.  Continue  until  all  canes  are  paired  and  all  holes  used. 
Soak  the  woven  cane  with  a  wet  sponge,  and  with  two  pegs 
straighten  the  strands  of  cane  and  force  all  pairs  together.  Small, 


CANING;  THE  SEVEN  STEPS 


13 


open  squares  are  thus  formed  over  the  area  being  caned.  Unless 
the  cane  is  soaked  it  will  prove  rather  difficult  to  pair  the  canes. 
Step  5.  This  step  is  the  weaving  of  one  set  of  diagonals.  Start 
le  strand  at  any  corner  hole.  Use  one  hand  over  and  one  under 
le  frame.  As  the  worker  becomes  skilful  he  will  find  it  easier 
to  give  the  cane  a  slight  curve  and  work  with  both  hands  on  the 
upper  surface.  Use  an  end  of  cane 
long  enough  for  convenient  hand- 
ling; then  pull  the  entire  strand 
thru  the  length  of  the  frame,  pro- 
aded  the  area  is  not  too  great. 
Care  must  be  taken  to  avoid  twist- 
ing the  cane.  The  cane  will  run 
easily,  and  partially  under  a  cane 
at  the  corners  of  the  squares,  if  corr 
rectly  done.  Fig.  6  shows  this 
clearly,  as  does  the  illustration  in 
Fig.  27.  The  second  illustration 
is  a  photograph  of  a  strip-  of  cane 
webbing,  is  approximately  half  size, 
and  will  supplement  the  freehand 

sketch.  The  corners  will  bind,  and  the  strand  will  pull  with  diffi- 
culty if  the  cane  is  incorrectly  woven.  On  parallel  canes  note  that 
the  canes  either  run  over  or  under  the  pairs. 

Step  6.  This  step  is  identical  with  the  preceding  one.  The  canes 
are  at  right  angles  to  the  first  diagonals.  In  this  step  and  the 
preceding  one  note  that  two  strands  run  into  the  corner  holes. 
This  holds  true  in  all  rectangular  frames  where  a  corner  hole  is 
bored.  It  permits  the  strands  to  run  in  as  straight  a  line  as  pos- 
sible. If  it  is  necessary  to  turn  abruptly  to  enter  a  hole  it  is  obvious 
that  an  error  has  been  made  by  the  weaver. 

Step  7.  Pull  a  cane  of  the  same  size  as  used  in  the  other  steps  up 
thru  a  hole,  over  the  binder  cane  and  down  thru  the  same  hole. 
A  loop  is  thus  formed  and  the  binder  secured.  Pull  taut,  then 


FIG.   6. 


FREEHAND    SKETCH    OF 
CANING. 


14  SEAT  WEAVING 

enter  the  next  hole,  pull  up  the  cane  over  the  binder  and  down, 
and  so  on.  This  operation  may  be  repeated  at  every  other  hole 
when  the  holes  are  close  together.  The  two  ends  of  the  binder  are 
finally  overlapped  and  secured,  and  the  operation  thus  completed. 
At  times,  when  the  last  strands  are  woven,  it  may  prove  advisable 
to  secure  canes  underneath  the  frame  by  plugging  the  necessary 
holes ;  at  least  in  instances  where  the  canes  have  a  tendency  to 
work  loose. 


SrCKJKSTIVK   PROJECTS. 


CHAPTER  II 
CANING  SUGGESTION'S 

As  weaving  progresses  difficulty  will  be  experienced  in  inserting 
cane  ends  in  the  holes,  due  to  their  becoming  filled.  Force  the 
scratch  awl  thru  and  turn  it  several  times!  "This  will  effectively 
force  an  opening. 

In  many  instances  long  ends  of  cane  remain  from  one  series  to 
another.  These  generally,  as  previously  mentioned,  should  be  used 
in  succeeding  steps.  There  is  one  limitation.  They  should  be 
used  provided  it  is  not  necessary  to  carry  them  over  more  than  four 
holes  on  the  under  side  of  the  frame.  The  fewer  loose  ends  left, 
the  better,  for  the  caning  is  thereby  neater  and  better.  It  is  gener- 
ally advisable  to  use  a  full  length  strand  to  avoid  a  number  of 
loose  ends. 

The  amateur  will  find  his  greatest  difficulty  in  properly  weaving 
the  diagonals  at  the  edges;  that  is,  immediately  upon  entering  or 
leaving  a  hole.  Many  commendable  pieces  of  caning  are  spoiled 
by  ragged,  improperly  woven  edges.  Care  must  be  taken  to  see 
that  the  cane  goes  over  and  under  the  proper  strand  or  strands  at 
these  points.  Fig.  6  clearly  shows  how  the  diagonals  should  run. 
Study  it  carefully. 

The  addition  of  a  binder  is  generally  a  matter  of  taste.  Perhaps 
50  per  cent  of  modern  hand  caned  furniture  does  not  employ  a 
binder  of  any  description.  The  series  of  regularly  exposed  holes 
are  rather  pleasing  and  in  no  way  detract.  However,  in  chair  seats' 
a  binder  is  essential  to  protect  the  ends  of  canes,  for  they  are  subject 
to  hard  wear. 

Binders  of  reed  or  of  wood  called  "splines"  may  be  used  on  hand- 
caned  frames.  If  either  is  used  a  groove  %  m-  deep  and  3/16  in. 
15 


n; 


SEAT  WEAVING 


wide  is  cut  coincident  with  the  holes  before  weaving  is  begun. 
After  the  area  is  caned  the  strips  are  fitted  and  glued  in.  Use  little 
glue.  Tap  the  splines  firmly  with  a  mallet  used  over  a  block  of 
wood,  until  they  are  flush  with  the  woven  cane.  Chapter  IV  gives 
the  method  in  detail. 

The  size  of  the  holes  and  the  distance  between  them  is  deter- 
mined largely  by  the  size  of  the 
cane  used.  Some  prefer  coarse 
meshed  areas,  while  others  desire 
them  closely  woven.  There  is, 
however,  what  we  may  term  a 
standard  mesh.  The  individual 
may  vary  the  dimensions  given  to 
suit  himself.  The  Jacobean  or 
early  caning  was  invariably  of 
coarse  mesh. 

Carriage  and  superfine  cane  re- 
quire }i  in.  holes  and  Y%  in.  spa- 
ces; fine-fine  cane  requires  3/16 
in.  holes  and  j/2  in.  spaces;  fine 
cane  requires  3/16  in.  holes  and 
Y%  in.  spaces ;  medium,  %  in.  holes 
and  y\  in.  spaces.  Fine-fine  and 
fine  cane  are  the  best  sizes  for 
shop  use.  A  small  amount  of  medium  binder  is  desirable. 

One  hank  of  cane  will  ordinarily  be  sufficient  for  a  half-dozen 
areas  of  approximately  12  in.  by  12  in. 

Most  old  pieces  of  period  furniture  utilizing  cane  employ  a 
particularly  narrow  split  horizontally  and  vertically,  and  a  wider 
split  diagonally.  The  opposite  practice  may  be  employed — a  finer 
split  of  cane  being  used  diagonally  than  horizontally  and  vertically. 
Both  effects  are  pleasing. 

In  all  illustrations  of  rectangular  areas  shown  herein,  corner 


FIG.    7.      WINGBACK   CHAIR. 


CANING  SUGGESTIONS  17 

holes  are  bored  and  "utilized  in  the  cane  weaving.  These  are  not 
absolutely  necessary;  in  fact  caned  areas  on  many  pieces  of  period 
and  modern  furniture  do  not  utilize  corner  holes.  In  such  instances 
two  diagonal  strands  are  run  in  each  hole  on  either  side  of  the 
corner.  A  comparison  of  the  areas,  the  one  employing  a  corner 
hole,  and  the  other  not,  will  lead  the  observer  to  conclude  that  the 
former  appears  complete  while  the  latter  appears  unfinished. 

It  is  frequently  necessary  or  desirable 
to  cover  up  the  cane  on  the  back  or  inside 
of  an  article.  This  is  true  of  places  ex- 
posed to  view,  and  is  especially  advisable 
on  such  pieces  of  furniture  as  the  wing- 
back  chair  shown  in  Fig.  7.  This  chair  FIG-  8-  SKETCH  OF  STRIP 

,   TUT-,,-  i    n/r  j      •  j  TO  COVER  CANE  ENDS. 

of  William  and  Mary  design  was  made 

in  a  school  shop,  is  hand  caned,  and  of  mahogany.  The  exposed 
cane  is  covered  with  strips  of  mahogany  %  m-  thick  and  I  in.  wide 
in  which  a  groove  l/%  in.  deep  and  ^  in.  wide  has  been  run.  This 
groove  may  be  made  with  saw,  chisel,  or  combination  plane.  Fig.  8 
shows  a  sketch  of  such  a  strip.  It  makes  a  neat,  pleasing  cover. 
Many  pieces  of  so-called  expensive  furniture  have  ragged,  exposed 
caning.  This  is  unsightly  and  is  not  to  be  commended. 

Wherever  it  is  found  desirable  to  leave  cane  natural,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  frame  be  stained  before  caning  is  begun.  Box  fuming 
will  not  permanently  color  cane.  Oil  stains  make  no  appreciable 
impression  if  rubbed  off  at  once.  But  water,  acid,  and  alcohol 
stains  produce  decided  colors.  If  the  worker  desires  to  color  the 
cane  approximately  the  same  shade  as  the  article,  the  caning  may 
be  done  on  the  white  wood  and  the  entire  article  stained  at  the  one 
operation.  Cane  may  be  shellacked  or  varnished  or  left  natural, 
as  desired. 

Irregular  Areas. — Fig.  9  shows  a  close  view  of  the  back  of  the 
chair  illustrated  in  Fig.  7.  This  is  a  typical  example  of  an  irregular- 
shaped  area  for  caning.  The  principles  of  weaving  remain  the 


18  SEAT  WEAVING 

same  in  areas  of  any  shape,  yet  each  requires  slightly  different  treat- 
ment. Each  has  its  individual  problem.  It  is  necessary  to  skip 
some  holes  altogether.  This  is  never  done  in  rectangular  shapes. 


FIG.    9.       BACK   OF   CHAIR   SHOWING   ODDLY    SHAPED  AREAS. 

A  close  inspection  of  the  photograph  will  reveal  many  skipped  holes. 
This  is  necessary  to  keep  parallel  strands  equidistant,  and  diagonals 
straight. 

To  clearly  understand  how  the  holes  are  located  on  a  wing  of 


CANING  SUGGESTIONS 


FIG.   10.      METHOD  OF   LOCATING   HOLES  OX   WING  OF  CHAIR. 

this  chair  refer  to  Fig.  10.  The  left  upright  and  lower  rails  are 
at  right  angles  to  each  other.  The  upper  rail  is  curved  and  the 
right  upright  slanted.  Measurements  are  begun  at  the  lower  left 
hand  corner  and  proper  distances  spaced  on  the  left  upright.  With 
the  arm  of  a  try -square  against  this  upright,  points  are  marked  on 


20 


SEAT  WEAVING 


the  opposite  upright  in  line  with  those  on  the  former.  This  opera- 
tion is  repeated  on  the  lower  rail  and  the  upper  curved  one.  Strands 
of  cane  will  then  obviously  run  parallel.  Inasmuch  as  there  are 


FIG.   11.      CLOSE  VIEW  OF  WING. 

five  holes  in  the  base  and  eight  in  the  top  it  is  necessary  that  three 
vertical  strands  be  run  into  the  slanting  upright  in  any  holes  which 
will  permit  the  strands  to  run  parallel  to  each  other.  The  photo- 
graph of  the  caned  wing,  shown  in  Fig.  11,  should  make  very  clear 
the  foregoing  explanation.  Experience  with  several  unusual  shapes 


CANING  SUGGESTIONS 


21 


is  necessary  before  the  weaver  feels  confident  of  readily  caning  any 
area  of  odd  shape. 

In  weaving  the  diagonals  it  is  frequently  necessary  to  run  several 
in  one  hole  in  order  to  keep  the  canes  as  straight  as  possible.  Just 
when  this  should  be  done  can  only  be  determined  by  the  worker. 
A  diagonal  should  never  be  permitted  to  swing  to  any  great  degree 
out  of  a  straight  line.  A  close  observation  of  the  photograph  of 


FIG.    12.      CASING  OF  FIVE    STEPS. 

the  wing  will  reveal  many  diagonal  canes  in  one  hole,  and  several 
holes  skipped  entirely. 

Five-Step  Caning. — Cane  weaving  of  five  steps  is  not  common. 
It  may  be  done  in  many  cases  where  it  will  not  be  subject  to  hard 
wear.  It  is  neat  in  appearance  and  is  much  simpler  than  seven- 
step  caning.  The  presumption  should  not  be  made  that  this  weave 
will  in  any  way  supplant  the  regular  weave,  but  in  instances  where 
decoration  is  the  object,  and  not  service  particularly,  this  weave 
will  prove  sufficient  and  effective. 

Fig.  12  illustrates  a  frame  caned  with  the  five  steps.  The  dis- 
tance between  holes  was  purposely  made  greater  than  usual,  to 
show  the  weave  clearly.  The  first  strands  are  strung  in,  in  the 
same  manner  as  described  in  the  seven  steps.  The  second  series  of 


22  SEAT  WEAVING 

strands  are  interwoven  with  the  first.  The  over  and  under  weave 
is  used.  Each  alternate  row  of  each  series  is  either  over  or  under. 
The  first  diagonal  strands  run  over  the  preceding  two  series.  They 
are  not  woven  as  in  seven-step  caning.  The  second  diagonal  strands 
run  over  the  first  diagonals  and  under  the  intersection  of  the  other 
strands,  including  every  alternate  first  diagonal.  This  resolves 
itself  into  simple  over  and  under  weaving.  Note  that  but  one 
strand  of  a  diagonal  enters  a  corner  hole.  This  is  not  true  of  seven- 


FIG.  13.      DAVENPORT  WITH  CANED  PANELS. 

step  caning,  as  elsewhere  indicated.     It  is  advisable  to  utilize  a 
wider  cane  in  the  first  two  steps,  than  is  used  in  the  subsequent  ones. 

The  Design  Element. — Caning  is  not  a  fad.  Cane  was  com- 
monly used  in  Carolean  furniture  in  England  about  1660,  and  has 
continued  in  use  for  seating  purposes  thru  the  various  subsequent 
periods.  The  application  of  cane  as  used  today  on  French  furniture, 
as  in  panels,  is  historically  wrong.  However  there  can  be  no  valid 
objection  to  its  use  in  panels  if  no  attempt  is  made  to  name  it  a 
true  period  style.  Also  it  must  be  conceded  that  period  furniture 
was  not  always  well  designed,  and  there  can  be  no  well  sustained 
objection  to  the  use  of  cane  in  panels,  provided  it  is  in  keeping 
structurally  and  decoratively  with  the  particular  piece  of  furniture. 


CANING  SUGGESTIONS  23 

The  introduction  of  cane  at  first  was  undoubtedly  brought  about 
by  a  desire  for  something  light,  substantial  and  serviceable,  and  it 
blended  well  with  the  oak  of  the  period.  Cane  is  much  used  on 
modern  furniture,  and  without  doubt  it  adds  to  the  beauty  of  the 
given  pieces.  In  many  cases  the  decoration  is  overdone  and  instead 
of  improving  the  article  the  cane  in  reality  detracts.  Properly  used, 


FIG.  14.    ROCKER  WITH  CANED  SIDES.  FIG.  15.    BOOK  SHELVES  WITH  CANED 

PANELS. 

it  enriches  by  breaking  up  flat  uninteresting  areas,  and  lightening 
the  appearance  of  otherwise  massive,  cumbersome  articles. 

Under  proper  correlation  with  wood  in  school  shops  it  promotes 
an  appreciation  of  constructive  design  in  which  the  element  of 
beauty  is  a  prime  consideration.  It  is  a  practical  medium  in  which 
the  aspect  of  design  as  an  element  of  utility  is  paramount.  It  has 
distinct  commercial  value,  for  the  boys  who  have  had  training  in 
the  shops  may  do  chair  seating  outside  and  earn  considerable  money. 
By  such  work  they  come  to  see  a  distinct  relation  between  the  com- 
mercial field  and  their  shop  experiences.  This  is  a  point  of  view 
which  is  very  desirable  in  present-day  industrial  education. 


SEAT  WEAVING 


Figs.  13,  14,  15,  and  17  show  pieces  of  furniture  made  in  manual 
training  shops  by  eighth  grade  boys.  These  pieces  comprise  a  group, 
with  the  addition  of  the  leg  rest  shown  in  Fig.  2  for  a  library  or 
living  room.  The  cane  in  each  instance  adds  materially  to  the 
artistic  effect  of  the  problems ;  they  have  tone.  The  cane  forms 
pleasing  groups  well  related  to  the  wood  mass.  The  cane  is  natural, 
the  wood  fumed  and  finished  flat.  The  two  tones  of  color  are  in 
perfect  harmony. 


FIG.  16.       LIBRARY    TABLE. 


FIG.  17.       TABLE.      SIDES    CANED. 


Fig.  1 6  shows  a  library  table  of  oak  constructed  by  an  eighth 
grade  boy.  The  lines  are  very  pleasing  and  the  long  vertical 
caned  panel  adds  a  distinct  note  to  the  structure  even  tho  purely 
decorative. 

Many  modifications  of  the  standard  weave  in  caning  are  in 
vogue,  but  are  more  or  less  fads.  A  "rotary"  weave  is  rather  preva- 
lent on  certain  types  of  furniture,  as  is  what  may  be  termed  the 
"spider-web"  weave.  These  are  mentioned  merely  to  suggest  that 
caning  is  subject  to  variation.  However,  the  standard  weave,  of 
seven  steps,  will  not  be  supplanted  to  any  appreciable  degree,  for  it 
adapts  itself  to  almost  all  types  of  furniture  both  decoratively  and 
structurallv. 


CANING  SUGGESTIONS 


25 


It  must  not  be  presumed  that  the  method  described  in  Chapter 
I  is  the  only  one  which  may  be  employed  in  weaving  this  standard 
weave.  There  are  several  methods  of  weaving  which  arrive  at  the 
same  ultimate  result,  but  the  one  described  is  the  simplest,  and  the 
most  direct,  and  withal  the  one  best  adapted  to  general  use,  par- 
ticularly to  school-shop  pupils. 


SUGGESTIVE   PROJECTS. 


CHAPTER  III 
RESEATING  A  CHAIR;  HAND  CANING 

In  many  localities  it  is  impossible  to  find  a  professional  to  reseat 
caned  chairs  either  by  hand  or  with  cane  webbing.  Many  chairs 
in  good  repair  and  worthy  are  relegated  to  the  attic  because  of 
broken  or  sunken  seats.  Upholsterers  generally  will  not  be  troubled 
with  such  jobs  of  caning  for  the  work  does  not  pay  unless  there 
is  an  amount  sufficient  to  keep  them  steadily  employed.  Usually 
they  are  not  adept  enough  to  do  such  odd  jobs  as  may  come  to  them, 
even  tho  willing  to  do  the  work,  within  a  time  consistent  with 
sufficient  money  returns. 

Chairs  of  ordinary  size  may  be  caned  for  a  minimum  of  $i  and 
a  maximum  of  $2.  If  the  holes  have  previously  been  bored,  much 
labor  is  thus  avoided,  and  the  charge  is  naturally  made  less.  The 
professional  cane  wTeaver  has  various  ways  by  which  he  determines 
the  cost  for  recaning  a  given  seat.  Perhaps  the  most  common 
method  employed  is  that  of  charging  so  much  per  hole.  This  is 
from  I  to  2  cents.  The  difficulty  in  handling  very  fine  cane  is  also 
a  factor  in  deciding  what  to  charge.  Usually  a  casual  looking  over 
of  the  chair  by  the  expert  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  fix  a  price.  No 
charge  of  less  than  $i  on  a  hand  caned  seat  will  sufficiently  re- 
munerate the  worker.  Fig.  18  shows  a  hank  of  cane  and  rolls  of 
machine  woven  cane. 

Any  boy  who  has  had  instruction  and  sufficient  experience  in 
caning  in  the  manual  training  shop  may  readily  undertake  jobs  of 
caning.  The  boy  who  will  investigate  will  find  that  he  may  work 
up  a  sizeable  trade  in  chair  seating  in  a  short  time.  In  fact  several 
boys  will  not  overcrowd  a  given  field.  Such  work  will  pay  the 
amateur  well.  He  does  not,  nor  cannot  expect  professional  wages. 
It  is  of  considerable  value  from  the  pupil's  standpoint  alone,  that 
is,  this  correlation  with  his  manual  school  activities.  The  amount 


RESEATING  A  CHAIR;   HAND  CANING 


27 


of  pay  initially  is  not  the  main  question ;  it  is  the  educational  value 
derived.  He  would  undoubtedly  find  willing  help  at  his  shop  at 
any  time  a  job  of  peculiar  treatment  presented  itself. 

The  Process. — Manv  chairs  which  the  owners  would  wish  hand 


FIG.   18.      HANK  OF  CANE  AND  ROLLS  OF  MACHINE  WOVEN  CANE. 

caned  have  no  holes  bored  for  the  work.  They  previously  held 
machine  woven  cane.  Fig.  19  shows  a  sketch  of  a  chair  bottom 
of  ordinary  or  standard  shape.  The  area  is  irregular.  The  sketch 
shows  the  method  of  determining  the  location  for  the  holes. 

As  stated  in  the  discussion  of  the  seven  steps  in  caning,  the  holes 
are  invariably  ^2  in.  from  the  inner  edges  of  the  rails.  In  this 
instance  the  line  from  which  the  holes  for  the  front  rail  are  located 
is  parallel  with  the  front  rail ;  it  is  coincident  with  the  line  on  which 
the  holes  are  bored.  The  line  on  the  back  rail  must  be  parallel 
with  it;  the  line  runs  thru  the  center  of  the  center  hole.  The 
lines  on  the  side  rails  are  parallel  to  each  other  and  at  right  angles 


28  SEAT  WEAVING 

to  the  first  two.  These  four  lines  are  shown  as  dash  lines  on  the 
drawing.  Their  function  is  simply  to  determine  the  location  for 
the  holes  to  be  bored  on  the  lines  y2  in.  from  the  inner  edges  of  the 
rails.  Those  lines  are  shown  in  the  sketch  as  full  lines. 


FIG.    19.       SKETCH    OF    CHAIR    SEAT   OF    ODD    SHAPE,    SHOWING    METHOD    OF 
FINDING   LOCATION   OF   HOLES. 

When  the  working  lines  are  determined,  the  centers  of  the  front 
and  back  lines  are  located.  The  lines  connecting  corresponding 
holes  on  the  front  and  back  rails  must  be  parallel  to  the  line  con- 
necting the  center  holes  on  these  rails.  This  rule  applies  to  the 
locating  of  the  holes  on  the  side  rails.  It  also  applies  to  any  seat 
of  odd  shape.  The  distance  between  holes  will  vary  somewhat  at 


RESEATING  A  CHAIR;   HAND  CANING  29 

different  places  on  the  seat  frame.  This  is  the  result  of  working 
to  rule,  and  is  necessary  to  keep  strands  equidistant  and  parallel. 
At  times  respacing  at  several  places  will  be  necessary.  When  it  is, 
simply  redivide  into  as  nearly  the  given  dimensions  as  possible. 

After  the  holes  have  been  bored  and  cleaned  the  seat  is  ready 
for  caning.    Start  at  the  center  hole  in  the  hack.     Pull  the  cane  up 


FIG.  20. 


FIRST    STEP    HALF    COM- 
PLETED. 


FIG.    21.       FIRST    STEP    COMPLETED. 
SECOXD    BEGUN. 


thru  this  hole  and  across  the  frame,  and  down  the  center  hole  in 
the  front.  Work  both  ways  on  the  frame.  Fig.  19  shows  a  cane 
started  in  this  manner.  It  is  best  that  the  amateur  work  from  the 
center,  both  ways.  He  mav  begin  otherwise  when  he  understands 
the  work  better.  The  caning  operations  on  the  seat  to  be  shown 
are  the  same  as  those  described  in  the  seven  steps  in  caning.  They 
never  vary.  The  only  new  thing  involved  here  is  the  shape  of  the 
seat.  Fig.  20  is  a  photograph  of  a  chair  seat  of  an  odd  shape,  an 
irregular  ellipse.  It  shows  the  first  step  half  completed.  Note  here 
that  the  last  strand  skips  two  holes,  one  at  the  front  and  one  at 
the  back.  This  is  necessary  to  keep  strands  as  nearly  the  same 
distance  apart  as  possible.  Fig.  21  shows  the  first  step  completed 


30  SEAT  WEAVING 

and  the  second  partially  so.  It  is  not  necessary  to  start  at  the 
center  with  this  series,  altho  it  is  advisable  with  the  beginner.  Note 
that  two  holes  have  been  skipped  here,  as  in  the  first  step.  Fig.  22 
shows  the  second  step  finished  and  the  third  under  way.  These 
strands  run  directly  over  those  of  the  first  series.  Pegs  are  always 


FIG.  22.    THE  SECOND  STEP  FINISHED          FIG.    23.      THE    THIRD    STEP    COMPLETED 
AND  THE  THIRD  UNDER  WAY.  AND    THE    FOURTH    UNDER    WAY. 

THE  CANING  NEEDLE  IN  TSE. 

used  to  keep  strands  taut.  Their  proper  use  has  been  explained. 
Fig.  23  shows  the  third  step  completed  and  the  fourth  under  way. 
This  shows  the  actual  weaving,  and  the  method  of  using  the  needle. 
It  has  been  pushed  thru  in  the  manner  previously  described ;  and  is 
shown  threaded,  ready  to  be  pulled  back,  thus  making  the  weave. 
The  needle  may  not  be  used,  but  will  do  the  work  rapidly.  Hand- 
work alone  here  is  tedious.  Fig.  24  shows  the  diagonal  weave 
under  way.  In  Fig.  25  this  weave  is  completed  and  the  second 
diagonal  started.  Fig.  26  shows  the  method  of  fastening  the 
binder.  This  has  been  described. 

The  first  three  series  of  strands  should  not  be  pulled  very  tight, 


RESEATING  A  CHAIR;   HAND  CANING 


31 


otherwise  the  final  weaving  will  prove  difficult.    The  finished  seat, 
when  dry,  should  ring  when  struck  sharply  with  the  fingers. 

The  method  of  tying  cane,  preventing  twists,  etc.,  has  been  ex- 
plained. Reference  should  be  made  to  these  points,  when  anything 
is  not  fully  understood  in  this  discussion  of  chair  seating. 


FIG.  24.   THE  FIRST  DIAGONAL  WEAVE 
UNDERWAY.     THE  FIFTH  STEP. 


FIG.  25.  FIRST  DIAGONAL  COMPLETED 

AND  THE  SECOND  BEGUN.    THE 

SIXTH   STEP. 


Note  that  many  holes  have  been  skipped  in  each  series,  especially 
in  the  last  two,  and  also  that  more  than  one  diagonal  of  a  given 
series  enters  the  same  hole.  In  every  case  it  will  enter  that  hole 
which  leaves  its  course  in  as  straight  a  line  as  possible.  In  rect- 
angular areas  it  is  never  necessary  to  run  two  diagonals  into  the 
same  hole,  except  at  the  corners.  This  applies  to  two  diagonals  of 
the  same  series. 

Refinishing. — The  refinishing  of  a  chair  is  a  distinct  problem, 
and  one  which  the  cane  weaver  should  understand.  He  should 
acquire  ability  for  finishing  along  with  skill  in  caning,  inasmuch 
as  a  chaif  which  needs  a  new  seat  invariably  is  in  need  of  refinish- 


32 


SEAT  WEAVING 


ing.  The  method  is  as  follows:  Remove  the  cane  from  the  seat. 
If  the  finish  is  in  fair  condition  merely  wash  the  chair  with  warm 
water  and  soap.  When  dry  sand  the  surface  somewhat,  wipe  clean, 
and  follow  with  a  coat  of  good  varnish.  In  forty-eight  hours  rub 
with  pumice  stone  and  oil,  and  follow  with  an  application  of  furni- 
ture polish,  well  rubbed.  A  good  polish  which  may  be  made  in 
school  shops  is  composed  of  two  parts  of  raw  oil,  two  parts  of 

turpentine,  one  part  vinegar,  and 
a  very  small  amount  of  alcohol. 
Boiled  oil  may  be  used  in  the  ab- 
sence of  the  raw  product.  Shake 
the  container  constantly  when 
using,  for  the  parts  are  almost  all 
merely  held  in  suspension. 

Should  the  chair  be  in  poor  con- 
dition, remove  all  varnish  with 
any  good  varnish  remover  found 
on  the  market.  Apply  as  directed 
with  a  stiff  brush,  running  the  so- 
lution well  into  all  crevices.  Later 
rub  off  the  softened  finish  with 
excelsior  or  burlap.  A  scraper, 
an  old  plane  bit,  or  a  rather  dull 
chisel  will  prove  effective  in  cor- 
ners and  recesses.  Apply  a  second  coat  of  remover  if  conditions 
warrant  it  and  clean  again,  then  when  the  surfaces  are  dry,  sand 
until  clean  and  smooth.  Follow  with  a  coat  of  oil  stain  of  the  color 
desired;  then  two  coats  of  varnish,  allowing  each  coat  to  dry  48 
hours.  Sand  the  first  coat  lightly,  and  rub  the  second  with  pumice 
stone  and  oil.  A  filler  is  not  generally  necessary  in  refinishing. 
The  ground  coat  may  be  of  shellac  instead  of  varnish  if  the  worker 
prefers  it.  The  chair  need  not  be  stained  if  it  was  finished  natural 
originally. 

In  caning  the  seat  special  care  must  be  exercised  to  avoid  mar- 


FIG.    26.       METHOD    OF    FASTENING 

BINDER.      THE  SEVENTH  AND 

LAST  STEP. 


RESEATING  A  CHAIR;   HAND  CANING  33 

ring  the  varnished  frame.  If  the  needle  is  used  in  the  fourth  step 
the  frame  needs  protection  from  it.  Pieces  of  Bristol  or  card  board 
may  be  placed  under  the  needle  on  either  side  of  the  frame.  The 
needle  is  bound  to  mar  the  surface  of  the  frame  if  this  precaution 
is  not  taken. 

In  many  instances  it  is  policy  to  cane  the  seat  after  the  old  finish 
has  been  removed ;  this  to  avoid  any  possibility  of  marring  the  seat 
frame  later.  However,  it  is  better  practice  to  refinish  the  chair 
first,  and  cane  the  seat  last. 


SUGGESTIVE  PROJECTS. 


CHAPTER  IV 
RESEATING  A  CHAIR;  CANE  WEBBING 

The  seating  of  chairs  with  machine  woven  cane  is  a  much  simpler 
process  than  that  of  hand  caning  them.  Under  similar  conditions 
less  time  and  skill  are  required  on  areas  of  like  dimensions.  Machine 
woven  cane,  as  its  name  implies,  is  a  manufactured  product  made 
on  power  looms  or  machines.  Commercially  it  is  sold  under  the 
name  of  cane  webbing.  It  is  obtainable  in  widths  ranging  from 
8  in.,  increasing  by  2  in.,  to  18  in.,  and  in  rolls  of  indefinite  lengths. 
It  may  be  procured  in  meshes  of  varying  fineness,  utilizing  cane  of 
various  sizes.  In  specifying  open  woven  cane  it  is  necessary  that 
the  purchaser  indicate  his  wants  in  essentially  this  way:  Ten  feet 
medium  open  woven  cane  webbing,  of  No.  i  fine  cane,  12  in.  wide. 
A  roll  of  such  cane  has  been  referred  to  in  Fig.  18. 

Cane  webbing  may  also  be  purchased  in  close  woven,  in  both  the 
plain  and  diagonal  weaves.  The  specifications  for  purchasing  are 
identical  with  the  open  woven  except  that  the  term  close  woven 
is  specified  together  with  the  character  of  weave.  Fig.  27  shows 
cane  webbing  approximately  half  size,  in  open  and  close  woven 
meshes. 

As  in  hand  caning,  any  boy  with  proper  inclination  who  has  had 
the  necessary  experience  in  the  shops,  may  avail  himself  of  the 
opportunities  for  seating  chairs  in  his  community.  The  educational 
and  pecuniary  advantages  are  identical  to  those  mentioned  in  rela- 
tion to  hand  caning.  The  relative  ease  with  which  he  may  acquire 
skill  in  handling  the  materials  precludes  satisfactory  workmanship 
for  prospective  customers. 

The  cost  of  jobs  is  readily  determined,  for  the  amount  and  cost 
of  webbing  is  easily  ascertained,  and  experience  soon  determines 
the  length  of  time  required.  Cane  webbing  costs  approximately 
34 


RESEATING  A  CHAIR;   CANE  WEBBING 


36 


as  follows:  For  12  in.  widths,  21  cents;  14  in.  widths,  26  cents; 
16  in.  widths,  30  cents;  and  18  in.  widths,  38  cents.  This  cost 
applies  to  open  woven  and  is  the  charge  per  running  foot.  Close 
woven  is  sold  by  the  square  foot  at  about  30  cents,  regardless  of 
width.  It  is  possible  to  procure  special  wide  widths,  but  these  are 
not  generally  found  on  the  open  market. 

For  example,  a  chair  seat  which  requires  a  12  in.  square  of  open 


TIG.   27.      OPEN   AND  CLOSE   WOVEN 
CANE. 


FIG.    28.      THE    SEAT    FRAME    WITH 
WEBBIXG   AND  TOOLS. 


woven  webbing,  and  which  has  the  groove  made,  may  be  reseated 
for  50  cents.  The  entire  job  could  be  finished  in  about  half  an 
hour.  This  may  be  made  less  if  several  chairs  are  to  be  reseated 
at  a  time.  However,  it  may  be  termed  the  minimum  charge  con- 
sistent with  fair  money  returns.  There  are  instances  when  the 
seat  frame  requires  grooving,  and  inasmuch  as  running  it  in  by 
hand  is  a  laborious  and  tedious  process  the  worker  must  of  necessity 
carefully  estimate  time  before  he  determines  upon  charge. 

The  Process. — The  following  may  be  termed  the  steps  in  insert- 
ing cane  webbing.  No  special  difficulty  should  be  encountered  in 
properly  seating  the  frame  at  the  first  attempt. 

Step  i.  Fig.  28  shows  a  commercial  chair  seat  with  groove  cut  by 
a  router  after  it  has  been  assembled.  There  are  no  angles  on  the 
seat.  The  groove  is  standard,  with  dimensions  %  in.  deep  and 
3/1 6  in.  wide.  This  groove  may  be  cut  by  hand  with  a  universal 


36 


SEAT  WEAVING 


plane  and  chisel  before  permanently  assembling  the  parts.  In  fact 
this  is  a  necessary  procedure  in  grade  schools  and  other  schools 
where  special  machine  tools  are  unavailable.  The  necessary  tools 
for  pressing  in  the  webbing  lie  near  the  frame,  Fig.  28.  These 
are  a  small  mallet,  a  chisel,  and  several  hard  wood  wedges.  The 
wedges  are  made  in  several  widths,  to  enable  them  to  enter  the 


FIG.     29.      INSERTING    THE    CANE 
WEBBING. 


FIG.    30.      TRIMMING    THE    EDGITS. 


groove  at  the  abrupt  curves,  are  4  in.  long  of  l/\.  in.  stock,  tapered 
to  Y%  in.  on  the  faces. 

Step  2.  The  cane  should  be  boiled  in  water  for  a  minute  or  so, 
or  allowed  to  soak  for  several  minutes  in  warm  water  until  thoroly 
pliable.  Then  lay  it  on  the  frame  and  cut  it  to  the  shape  of  the 
seat,  allowing  half  an  inch  excess  around  the  entire  piece.  A 
pattern  of  card  or  bristol  board  will  prove  of  material  assistance  to 
the  amateur  as  well  as  the  expert.  The  front  line  or  edge  of  the 
pattern  must  run  parallel  with  the  horizontal  or  vertical  strands  of 
cane.  Pull  out  all  weavers  at  the  edges  of  the  piece  of  cane  where 
they  run  over  and  parallel  with  the  groove.  Then  lay  the  webbing 
over  the  frame,  and  see  that  the  weavers  run  parallel  with  the 
front  of  the  frame.  With  wedge  and  mallet  as  illustrated  in  Fig. 
29  begin  at  the  front  and  force  the  webbing  into  the  groove.  Insert 
on  the  opposite  side  next,  then  the  other  two  sides  in  order.  The 
curves  may  be  done  last. 


RESEATING  A  CHAIR;   CANE  WEBBING 


I!  7 


FIG.    31.       INSERTING    THE    SPLJNE. 


Step  3.  The  edges  of  the  webbing  will  project  up  beyond  the 
groove.  These  are  cut  off  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  30  by  means  of  a 
mallet  and  chisel  at  the  outer  edge  in  the  bottom  of  the  groove. 
Run  either  liquid  or  hot  glue  into 
the  groove.  An  oil-can  with  large 
holed  nozzle  is  excellent  for  this 
purpose.  The  liquid  glue  should 
be  heated  if  used  in  this  way  so  it 
may  flow  easily.  This  glue  is  to 
be  recommended  for  the  amateur 
in  that  no  great  haste  is  required 
as  in  the  case  with  hot  glue.  A 
small  stiff  round  brush  will  serve 
the  purpose  very  well  in  absence 
of  the  oiler. 

Step  4.  Fig.  3 1  shows  the  method  of  inserting  the  spline.  Splines 
may  be  had  either  of  wood  or  reed,  are  curved  on  the  upper  edge 
and  wedge  shape  in  cross-section.  They  are  standard  in  width  and 
thickness  and  will  fit  a  groove  of  the  size  indicated  in  Step  i.  Fig. 

32  is  a  freehand  sketch  of  a  spline, 
showing  particularly  its  shape  in 
cross-section.  Wood  splines,  pref- 
erably of  hickory,  may  be  pur- 
chased in  5  ft.  lengths,  and  reed 
splines  in  lengths  of  8  or  10  ft. 
Both  hickory  and  reed  are  recom- 
mended because  of  their  pliability 
and  ease  in  handling.  Steam  or  soak  them  in  hot  water  until  thoro- 
ly  pliable;  then  insert  in  the  groove  as  illustrated.  Note  that  the 
joint  is  made  at  the  rear  of  the  seat.  The  mallet  used  is  of  rawhide 
and  will  not  mar  the  spline.  A  wooden  mallet  of  small  size  is  a 
satisfactory  tool.  Cut  off  the  extra  length  of  spline  with  the  chisel, 
force  the  spline  down  nearly  flush  with  the  frame  with  mallet  and 
wedge,  sponge  off  the  excess  glue  from  the  surface,  and  allow  the 
webbing  to  dry. 


FIG.   32.      SKETCH  OF  A  PORTION  OF 
A   SPLINE. 


SEAT  WEAVING 


Step  $.  The  finished  seat  is  shown  in  Fig.  33.  As  the  cane  webb- 
ing dries  it  becomes  taut,  and  irregularities  of  the  surface,  if  not  too 
pronounced,  will  disappear  entirely.  Therefore,  the  worker  need 


FIG.    33.       THE   FINISHED    SEAT. 

not  consider  them  primarily.  Light  sanding  of  the  cane  when 
thoroly  dry  will  eliminate  the  small  hairlike  projections  on  the 
surface.  Singeing  the  surface  with  a  blow  torch  or  gas  flame  will 
do  the  work  more  effectively,  but  great 
care  must  be  exercised  to  avoid  burn- 
ing the  webbing  itself.  The  singeing 
must  be  done  rapidly  and  the  flame 
not  be  permitted  to  remain  at  one  spot 
more  than  an  instant.  Dampen  the 
surface  to  minimize  the  danger  of 
burning. 

The  chair  shown  in  Fig.  34  was 
made  by  an  eighth  grade  boy.  The 
slip  seat  is  upholstered,  and  a  panel  of 
cane  webbing  utilized  on  the  back.  In 
instances  of  this  character  where  the 
area  is  rectangular,  splines  are  cut, 
mitered,  and  fitted  previous  to  insert- 
ing the  wrebbing.  The  splines  are 
used  dry.  Manufacturers,  in  instances 
where  the  seat  area  is  all  curved,  gen- 


FIG.  34. 


CHAIR  WITH  CANED 
PANEL. 


RESEATING  A  CHAIR;   CANE  WEBBING  39 


FIG.   35.      FRAME  ILLUSTRATING  STEPS   IN  INSERTING   WOVEN  CANE. 


40  SEAT  WEAVING 

erally  fit  the  pliable  spline,  allow  it  to  dry,  and  then  insert  it  with 
the  webbing.  This  assures  tight  joints.  This  procedure  is  not 
recommended  for  the  ordinary  shops  for  the  simple  reason  that  the 
shrinkage  is  not  appreciable. 

The  frame  illustrated  in  Fig.  35  is  purely  supplementary  to  the 
steps,  but  as  with  the  Seven  Steps  in  Caning,  it  should  be  used  in 
demonstrating  the  processes  to  classes.  It  materially  assists  in  mak- 
ing the  processes  clear  to  the  students,  previous  to  allowing  work 
on  their  projects,  and  assures  a  general  understanding,  at  least,  of 
proper  procedure.  The  different  panels  are  lettered  for  convenience 
and  need  no  elaborate  explanation : 

A  is  the  open  frame  with  grooves  cut  for  the  webbing. 

B  is  the  webbing  inserted  with  ragged  edges  exposed,  ready  for 
cutting. 

C  is  the  webbing  with  edges  properly  trimmed  and  a  spline  in- 
serted. 

D  is  the  completed  panel. 

Inserts  of  cane  webbing  may  be  utilized  on  pieces  of  furniture 
other  than  seats.  These  inserts  could  be  used  on  every  article  illus- 
trated in  Chapters  I  and  II,  with  similar  pleasing  effects,  and  with 
less  labor.  However,  there  is  an  obvious  element  in  hand  caning 
which  naturally  and  logically  gives  it  precedence  over  the  inserted 
cane. 


CHAPTER  V 

RUSH  SEATING 

Rush  seating,  employing  either  genuine  rush  or  substitutes,  may 
be  done  to  good  advantage  and  with  excellent  results  in  manual 
training  shops.  No  equipment  is  needed  to  maintain  such  work. 
The  addition  of  a  woven  seat  to  a  chair  or  stool  constructed  in  the 
shops  will  necessarily  employ  a  new,  interesting  medium  in  con- 
junction with  woodwork;  and  materially  increase  the  pupils'  knowl- 
edge of  materials  and  possible  combinations.  And,  as  with  caning, 
the  resultant  interest  in  the  work  at  hand  more  than  justifies  its 
introduction  in  manual  trainig  shops.  Rush  seating  employs  a  very 
simple  weave.  Different  materials  employed  in  weaving  naturally 
require  different  degrees  of  skill,  and  the  difficulties  encountered 
are  those  resulting  from  handling  materials  and  not  because  of  the 
complexity  of  the  weave.  One  may  very  readily  undertake  the 
rushing  of  ordinary  seat  frames  after  a  study  of  printed  directions 
and  illustrations.  It  should  be  understood  at  the  outset  that,  in 
discussing  rush  seating,  materials  other  than  genuine  rush  are  in- 
cluded in  the  term. 

Historical. — In  the  British  Museum  in  London  is  a  seat  of 
curious  shape  of  Egyptian  manufacture,  which,  it  is  estimated,  was 
made  previous  to  4000  B.  C.  A  small  amount  of  rush  still  clings  to 
the  seat  frame.  The  relative  date  of  the  construction  and  weaving 
of  the  chair  seat  would  indicate  that  rush  seating  is  by  no  means  a 
modern  art,  altho  at  present  rush  is  extensively  employed  in  fur- 
niture. 

The  use  of  rush  in  England  dates  no  earlier  than  1720.     Several 

types  of  chairs  were  made  there  between  that  date  and  1870.     In 

France  rush  was  used  extensively  in  the  seating  of  furniture  of 

Normandy  and   Brittany  about    1750.      Flanders   produced   rush 

41 


SEAT  WEAVING 


seated  chairs  at  an  early  date,  and  many  were  constructed  in  this 
country  in  early  colonial  days,  prior  to  1776,  as  well  as  later.  Such 
chairs  were  undoubtedly  patterned  after  those  brought  over  .from 
Holland,  France,  and  England  to  the  early  settlements  in  America 

both  before  and  after  the  Revo- 
lutionary War. 

In  early  times  rush  always 
served  a  function  in  the  seats 
of  chairs  and  stools,  and  was 
very  seldom  if  ever  used  on  the 
better  class  of  furniture.  The 
use  of  cane  or  rush  on  furni- 
ture for  decorative  purposes 
only  is  distinctly  a  modern 
idea.  Utility  rather  than  beau- 
ty prompted  the  introduction 
of  seats  of  rush. 

Modern  furniture  of  excel- 
lent design  and  workmanship 
employs  rush  seats.  These  are 
either  woven  over  a  separate 


FIG.   36.    ADAPTATION  OF  LADDER  BACK 
CHAIR. 


frame  and  inserted  or  are  an 
integral  part  of  the  chair,  be- 
ing woven  over  the  seat  rails 

of  the  chair  itself.  Fig.  36  shows  a  modern  adaptation  of  a  ladder 
back  chair  with  rush  seat.  The  rush  on  this  chair  is  woven  over 
the  rails.  Fig.  37  shows  a  flat  view  of  the  seat. 

Rush. — Rush  is  the  name  applied  to  many  fistular,  stemlike 
plants  of  similar  or  like  growth.  Properly,  rush  belongs  to  the  sedge 
family.  The  different  species  vary  greatly  in  appearance;  some  are 
low  and  slender,  some  are  tall  and  leafless,  and  some  are  broad 
leaved.  They  are  found  in  wet  places  thruout  the  northern  hemi- 
sphere, along  banks  of  sluggish  streams,  and  in  lowlands  and  marsh- 


RUSH  SEATING  43 

es.  The  great  bulrush  is  common  and  familiar,  while  the  chair- 
maker's  rush  is  not  as  well  known.  The  plants  most  commonly 
known  as  rush  are  called  by  the  names  of  flag  and  cattail.  In  fact, 
flag  and  cattail  are  very  generally  used  for  rush  seating.  The 
technical  names  of  the  different  species  of  rush  are  not  pertinent  or 
desirable  here. 

Other  Materials. — Materials  other  than  rush  may  be  used  for 


FIG.    37.       SEAT  OF   LADDER  BACK   CHAIR. 

rush  seating,  as  has  been  stated.  Rush  is  rather  hard  to  manage  in 
that  no  appreciable  length  may  be  handled  because  of  the  shortness 
of  the  leaf.  Twisting  is  necessary.  Fiber,  or  similar  materials,  is 
to  be  recommended  for  shop  use  because  a  great  length  is  procur- 
able, and  the  twist  is  made.  It  is  made  of  machine-twisted  paper, 
and  comes  in  long  indefinite  lengths.  It  is  tough,  strong,  and  ser- 
viceable, and  procurable  in  spools  of  about  one  hundred  pounds 
each.  Fig.  38  shows  such  a  spool  together  with  a  bundle  of  rush. 
It  is  manufactured  with  or  without  a  flexible  wire  center  and  costs 


41 


SEAT  WEAVING 


from  10  to  15  cents  a  pound.     It  may  be  had  in  several  colors  and 
sizes. 

Raffia  is  well  known  thru  its  general  use  in  basketry  and  allied 
work.  In  rush  seating  it  has  no  conspicuous  place,  altho  it  may  be 
utilized  to  great  advantage.  Raffia  is  the  leaf  of  a  certain  palm, 
cut  in  narrow  widths  and  varying  in  length  from  2  to  5  feet.  It  is 

bought  in  hanks  by  the  pound, 
bleached  or  unbleached,  and  in 
colors.  The  natural  unbleached 
raffia  costs  about  25  cents  per 
pound ;  colored  about  75  cents. 
The  hanks  should  not  be  untied, 
but  as  strands  are  needed  they 
should  be  pulled  out  from  the 
head  end  of  the  hank.  If  im- 
properly handled,  raffia  will  be- 
come badly  tangled. 

Corn  husks,  taken  from  close  to 
the  ear,  may  be  used,  particularly 
for  seating  chairs  of  toy  furniture. 
The  husks  near  the  ear  are  not 
as  coarse  and  brittle  as  those  out- 
side. The  shortness  of  the  husks 
precludes  their  general  use,  altho 
they  produce  an  excellent  seat 
when  properly  woven. 

The  materials  mentioned  by  no  means  exhaust  the  list  of  avail- 
able mediums  for  rush  seating,  but  will  give  considerable  and  suffi- 
cient variety  for  shopwork.  As  the  weaver  comes  to  appreciate  the 
limits  and  advantages  of  the  various  mediums  for  certain  grade 
work,  he  may  utilize  local  plants  and  grasses  suitable  for  such  work. 
Preparation  of  Materials. — Rush  —  and  in  the  term  are  in- 
cluded cattail  and  flag — is  common  to  almost  any  locality  in  our 
northern  states.  It  should  be  gathered  when  full  grown  and  still 


FIG.   38.      SPOOL  OF  FIBEK   AM) 
BUNDLE  OF  RUSH. 


RUSH  SEATING  45 

green.  It  is  ready  for  cutting  when  the  tips  of  the  leaves  begin  to 
turn  brown.  This  is  usually  about  the  middle  of  August.  The 
leaves  are  tied  in  loose  bundles  for  convenience  in  handling,  and 
dried  in  the  shade,  preferably  a  darkened  room.  They  should  re- 
main here  until  thoroly  dry.  Before  using,  soak  the  rush  about 
ten  hours  in  water.  Less  time  is  required  if  warm  water  is  used. 
When  it  is  soft  and  pliable  it  is  ready  for  weaving. 


B 

FIG.   39.      ISOMETRIC   DRAWING  OF  FRAME   FOR  RUSH   SEATING. 

Before  weaving,  the  butt  ends  of  the  leaves  are  cut  off  about  a 
foot  from  the  base.  These  are  too  coarse  and  stiff  to  weave  proper- 
ly. One  leaf  may  be  used  or  two  leaves  may  be  twisted  together  to 
make  a  strand.  Three  leaves  make  a  coarse  strand,  two  a  medium, 
and  one  a  fine  strand.  A  long,  tight  twist  is  necessary  to  produce 
an  even,  smooth  strand.  The  twisting  is  always  done  in  one  direc- 
tion. One  leaf  is  recommended  for  beginners  in  rush  seating,  for 
adding  to  one  is  much  simpler  than  adding  to  several.  The  under 
side  of  the  seat  need  not  be  as  smooth  and  as  wrell  woven  as  the  top. 
In  fact,  twisting  need  not  be  done  underneath  at  all  unless  the 
individual  worker  so  desires. 

Raffia  is  easy  to  manipulate  because  of  its  pliability,  even  when 
dry.  Several  lengths  will  need  to  be  twisted  together  to  produce  a 


SEAT  WEAVING 


strand  of  sufficient  size.  It  requires  little  soaking  to  make  it  ready 
for  use.  Raffia  produces  an  even,  smooth  surface  of  pleasing  ap- 
pearance, and  is  very  desirable  in  a  seat. 

Fiber  may  be  woven  as  it  comes  from  the  spool.     However,  it  is 
better  to  dampen  it  by  plunging  a  quantity  in  water  and  removing 


FIG.   40.      METHOD  OF  WEAVING  THE  FIRST  STRAND. 

at  once.  When  it  dries  after  weaving,  a  slight  shrinkage  results, 
thereby  making  a  tauter  seat  than  could  be  woven  with  dry  strands. 
Inasmuch  as  the  fiber  is  paper,  it  cannot  be  soaked  in  water. 

The  Weaving  Process. — With  the  frame  ready  and  rush  in 
proper  condition  the  weaving  may  be  started.  Fig.  39  shows  an 
isometric  drawing  on  which  corners  are  lettered  and  the  rails 
numbered  in  order.  Fig.  40  shows  another  drawing  on  which  the 
corners  and  rails  are  similarly  lettered  and  numbered,  showing 
graphically  the  method  of  weaving  the  first  strand.  The  arrows 
indicate  the  direction  of  weave.  The  operation  is  practically  com- 
plete once  around  the  frame.  Reference  may  be  made  to  either 
drawing  in  the  following  detailed  directions  for  weaving. 

Start  arbitrarily  at  any  corner  —  in  this  case,  A.  A  strand  of 
rush  tightly  twisted  is  laid  over  rail  I  next  to  the  cap  with  its  short 
end  turned  down.  The  beginner  may  find  it  advantageous  to  tack 


RUSH  SEATING  47 

the  end  in  place.  Draw  the  strand  over  the  edge  and  bottom  of 
rail  I  and  up  at  the  inner  corner,  then  over  the  top  and  edge  of  rail 
2.  This  binds  the  loose  end  in  place  if  it  has  not  been  previously 
tacked.  Pull  the  strand  directly  across  the  frame  opening  to  the 
top  of  rail  3  at  corner  B.  Draw  it  over  the  edge  of  the  same  rail 
and  under,  then  up  at  the  inner  corner  and  over  the  top  and  edge 
of  rail  I.  Pull  directly  across  the  frame  opening  to  the  top  of  rail 
4  at  corner  C.  The  operations  at  corners  C  and  D  are  identical  to 


FIG.   41.      STICK   FOR  STUFFING  INTERIOR  OF   SEATS. 

those  at  A  and  B,  and  these  repeat  themselves  indefinitely  at  each 
corner,  or  until  the  seat  is  completed.  This  applies  to  square  seats 
only.  The  end  of  the  last  strand  may  be  secured  with  a  tack  under 
the  proper  rail,  or  twisted  around  a  strand  underneath  the  seat. 

The  strand  is  twisted  as  the  weaving  progresses.  This  may  be 
done  with  the  palm  of  the  hand  and  thigh,  in  much  the  same  man- 
ner as  a  shoemaker  waxes  his  thread.  If  one  leaf  of  rush  is  used  to 
make  the  strand,  new  leaves  are  added  by  tying  the  two  ends  in  a 
square  knot  at  a  corner,  or  wherever  such  joining  will  not  show  on 
the  finished  seat.  When  more  than  one  piece  of  rush  is  used  for  a 
strand  the  pieces  should  be  of  uneven  lengths  initially.  One  leaf  or 
piece  at  a  time  is  then  added.  The  upper  or  top  end  of  the  leaf  is 
used  to  begin  the  seating  and  each  leaf  added  is  attached  at  its  top 
end. 

Some  expert  rush  seaters  do  not  tie  knots  in  making  strands,  but 
add  leaves  by  twisting  the  end  of  the  preceding  leaf  about  the  added 
one,  "like  the  color  on  a  barber  pole,"  as  one  old  rush  weaver  re- 
marked. Adding  by  twisting  only  is  difficult,  and  requires  great 
patience  and  dextrous  handling  of  the  material.  In  fact  rush 
should  be  used  by  the  more  skilful  boys  only.  Others  may  use  the 
excellent  substitute,  fiber. 


48 


SEAT  WEAVING 


Care  must  be  exercised  to  keep  the  strands  from  overlapping  im- 
properly at  the  corners.  The  strands  should  fit  snugly  where  they 
go  over  the  rails.  To  assure  this,  tap  them  sharply  with  a  mallet 
used  over  a  block  of  soft  wood.  This  may  be  done  at  frequent 
intervals  or  when  several  strands  have  been  woven  over  each  rail. 


FIG.   42.      ^lETHOU  OF 


Uniform  tension  on  the  strand  is  desirable  and  this  should  be  tight. 
As  the  work  progresses  the  interior  between  the  upper  and  lower 
rows  of  strands  is  stuffed.  This  is  done  with  the  same  material  as 
that  used  in  the  weaving.  The  butt  ends  of  rush  are  used  to  stuff 
the  seat  of  rush ;  raffia  is  used  to  stuff  a  raffia  seat ;  craft  paper  to 
stuff  a  fiber  seat ;  and  so  on.  The  packing  should  be  done  in  a  thoro 
manner,  for  it  builds  up  the  seat  and  prevents  its  breaking  down  at 
the  inner  edges  of  the  rails,  and  sagging  with  continued  use.  A 
slightly  curved  hardwood  stick  about  12  in.  long  may  be  used  to 
advantage  to  do  this  work.  Fig.  41  shows  a  sketch  of  such  a  stick. 
It  is  24  in.  in  diameter  at  one  end  and  tapered  to  y2  in.  by  l/%  in.  at 


RUSH  SEATING  49 

the  other.     Considerable  force  needs  to  be  exerted  in  packing,  and 
caution  used  to  avoid  breaking  strands. 

Rectangular  Seats. — As  stated,  in  weaving  a  square  seat  the 
initial  process  is  repeated  at  all  corners  until  all  openings  are  filled. 
In  rectangular  seats  the  spaces  on  the  short  rails  will  fill  before 


FIG.   43.      METHOD  OF  FILLING  IX  CENTER. 


those  on  the  long  rails.  Weaving  around  corners  is  then  manifestly 
impossible.  Fig.  42  shows  a  partly  woven  seat  with  the  short  rails 
filled,  and  the  process  of  filling  up  the  remaining  area  under  way. 
The  method  is  this :  Go  over  and  under  a  long  rail,  across  half  the 
frame  opening  and  up  thru,  then  across  the  remaining  distance,  and 
over  and  under  the  other  long  rail.  Repeat  until  the  seat  is  com- 
pleted. Fig  43  is  a  sketch  of  a  partly  woven  seat,  illustrating  the 
method  of  filling  in  the  center  just  described.  It  supplements  the 
photograph  and  makes  the  method  clearer. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  strands  in  crossing  at  the  center  must 
be  compressed  one-half  of  their  diameters.  They  will  need  to  be 
tapped  sharph7  with  a  small  mallet  or  hammer  to  produce  proper 
crowding.  Fig.  44  shows  a  stool  seat  of  fiber  woven  by  an  eighth 
grade  boy.  Fig.  45  shows  the  complete  stool.  The  seat  is  woven 


50  SEAT  WEAVING 

over  a  separate  frame  and  inserted.     Fig.  46  is  a  child's  chair  of 
oak,  with  a  seat  of  fiber  woven  over  the  rails  of  the  chair. 

Irregular  Seats. — The  usual  or  standard  shape  of  chair  seat  is 
like  the  one  illustrated  in  the  drawing,  Fig.  47.    The  front  rail  is 


FIG.   44.      COMPLETED  TOP  OF  FIBER. 

longer  than  the  back,  and  the  side  rails  are  equal  in  length.  Seats 
of  this  shape  are  rather  difficult  to  weave  because  special  treatment 
is  necessary  to  fill  up  portions  of  certain  rails. 

With  reference  made  to  the  drawing,  the  method  employed  in 
locating  lines  for  rushing,  and  for  rushing  such  a  seat  is  this :  With 
the  beam  of  a  square  laid  against  rail  4  with  its  corner  against  the 
cap  at  corner  A,  scribe  a  pencil  line  across  rail  2.  Similarly,  mark 
the  same  rail  using  the  square  against  rail  4  at  corner  D.  Stated  in 
other  words,  these  lines  may  be  obtained  by  determining  the  differ- 
ence in  length  between  the  front  and  back  rails,  and  laying  off  one- 


RUSH  SEATING  51 

half  this  difference  from  each  corner  on  the  front  rail.     This  dis- 
tance is  indicated  by  the  brackets  in  the  drawing. 

Now  tie  with  a  string  as  many  strands  of  rush  as  will  be  needed 
to  fill  in  this  difference  between  front  and  back  rails.  Fasten  them 
underneath  the  rail  at  corner  A.  Then  use  one  strand,  twisted, 


FIG.    45 


and  weave  around  corners  B  and 

C  and   fasten  under  the  rail   at        FIG"  46'    CHILD'S  CHAIR  WITH 

FIBER    SKAT. 

corner  D.  The  weaving  is  iden- 
tical to  that  described  in  square  seats.  Weave  in  each  strand  in 
the  bundle  at  the  same  corners  and  tie  under  the  rail  at  corner  D ; 
or  until  the  spaces  marked  off  on  the  front  rail  are  filled.  It  may 
be  necessary  to  add  to  or  to  remove  strands  from  the  bundle  if 
calculations  as  to  number  of  strands  necessary  were  inaccurate. 
Tie  all  loose  ends  together  at  corner  D,  fasten  securely  and  cut  off 
all  extra  lengths. 

Start  now  as  in  beginning  a  weave  on  a  square  seat,  weaving 
around  all  corners  in  the  regular  way.  The  first  strand  around  will 
effectively  bind  the  bundles  of  ends  at  corners  A  and  D. 

Suggestions. — In  using  paper  fiber  or  similar  materials  wrhich 
come  in  long  lengths,  a  strand  20  or  25  ft.  in  length  may  be  used 


52 


SEAT  WEAVING 


at  one  time  in  weaving.  For  convenience  in  handling  it  should  be 
formed  in  a  loop  and  held  together  with  a  strong  rubber  band. 
The  strand  may  be  unlooped  a  little  at  a  time  as  the  weaving  pro- 
gresses. In  using  rush,  raffia,  and  like  materials,  the  strand  is  made 


a 


C 


FIG.    47.      METHOD  OF   STARTING  WEAVE  OX   SEAT  OF   IRREGULAR    SHAPE. 

as  the  weaver  works,  so  at  no  time  is  there  a  strand  exceeding  5  ft. 
or  so  in  length  to  handle.  No  special  expedient  is  therefore  needed. 

Raffia,  fiber,  etc.,  may  be  purchased  from  supply  houses  and  in 
many  cases  direct  from  the  manufacturers.  Rush  may  be  gathered 
in  many  communities  by  an  energetic  instructor  and  pupils,  and 
properly  cured.  In  fact,  gathering  the  raw  material  and  preparing 
it  for  use  is  desirable  in  many  ways,  and  is  to  be  encouraged.  Or- 
dinarily rush  may  be  obtained  from  manufacturers  of  rush  seats. 
It  costs  15  cents  per  pound,  dry. 

Fig.  48  is  a  working  drawing  of  a  stool  or  seat.  The  constructed 
problem  would  appear  very  similar  to  the  one  shown  in  Fig.  45. 
The  seat  frame  is  fastened  to  the  base  with  concealed  screws.  The 
upper  caps  are  temporarily  fastened  until  the  weaving  is  completed, 


RUSH  SEATING 


<M 


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II- 

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1  1 
1  1 

II 

10                                                /                                             1 

-1  I       ill 

1 

1  1 

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if, 

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S                                   UUUL 

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FIG.  48.   WORKIXG  DKAWIN(i  OF  A  STOOL  FOR  RUSHING. 


54 


SEAT  WEAVING 


when  they  are  removed  and  the  frame  fastened  to  the  base  as  indi- 
cated. The  caps  are  then  replaced  permanently.  Generally  speak- 
ing, for  initial  work  in  rush  seating  it  is  advisable  to  weave  over  a 
separate  frame.  Such  a  frame  is  conveniently  handled,  and  better 
work  will  result. 

Finish. — Some  agent  to  preserve  a  rush  seat  is  necessary.  Rush 
should  be  coated  with  equal  parts  of  oil  and  turpentine,  followed 
by  two  coats  of  tough,  elastic  varnish.  The  necessary  time  should 
elapse  between  coats.  Some  manufacturers  do  not  use  oil,  and  apply 
varnish  only.  Raffia  and  husk  seats  should  be  treated  as  rush. 
Fiber  is  varnished  only.  A  brittle  varnish  is  to  be  avoided,  for  it 
will  chip  off  with  a  little  use,  and  a  seat  is  subject  to  hard  wear. 


SUGGESTIVE  PROJECTS. 


CHAPTER  VI 
REED  AND  SPLINT  WEAVING 

Reeds  which  are  used  extensively  for  basket-making  and  weaving 
in  general  are  procured  from  the  species  of  palm  described  in  Chap- 
ter I.  These  reeds  should  not  be  confused  with  the  term  reed 
applied  to  several  distinct  species  of  large  water  loving  grasses. 
Such  reeds  are  usually  designated  under  the  name  of  grasses.  There 
are  a  thousand  species  of  palm  distributed  over  the  tropical  regions 
of  the  entire  world,  but  only  a  few  are  native  in  the  United  States, 
and  these  are  of  no  distinct  commercial  value.  The  rattan  or  cane 
palms  of  India  and  the  Malay  Islands  grow  to  an  unusual  height, 
and  are  imported  into  this  country  in  great  quantities.  These  rat- 
tans and  the  trailing  palm  of  the  species  Calamus  have  as  main 
export  centers  Singapore  and  Calcutta.  These  palms  are  stripped 
of  leaves  and  bark  and  split  into  round  and  flat  strips  of  different 
diameters  and  widths.  The  outer  bark,  when  stripped  into  proper 
sizes,  is  known  as  chair  cane;  the  entire  palm,  with  leaves  removed, 
is  commercially  known  as  rattan ;  and  the  flat  reeds  are  frequently 
sold  as  flat  rattan  and  pith  cane.  Inasmuch  as  these  flat  and  round 
strips,  split  from  the  palm  plant  and  exported  under  the  name  of 
rattan  are  called  reeds,  we  shall  refer  to  them  under  that  name  in 
all  discussions  to  follow.  There  are  two  qualities  of  reed  on  the 
market  sold  under  the  names  of  China  reed  and  German  reed.  The 
former  is  inferior  in  quality  and  the  latter  is  superior,  being  strong, 
tough  and  durable.  The  Philippine  Islands  give  promise  of  pro- 
ducing a  liberal  supply  of  reed  of  good  quality  that  is  claimed  to 
equal  the  German  product.  The  problem,  however,  is  one  of  gath- 
ering and  marketing  the  product.  The  government  has  made  a 
partial  survey  of  the  rattan  supply,  and  this  justifies  the  belief  that 
the  Islands  will  eventually  compete  with  the  world  market. 
55 


56  SEAT  WEAVING 

Primitive  Methods. — Briefly  the  primitive  process  of  convert- 
ing the  rattan,  or  raw  material,  into  cane  and  reeds,  or  the  finished 
product,  is  this:  The  rattan  stems  are  thoroly  dried  or  seasoned, 
and  the  nodules  are  pared  off  with  a  peculiar  native  knife.  Then  the 
rattan  is  sorted  into  sizes  and  selection  made  as  to  grade.  The  sort- 
ing is  based  upon  external  color  and  diameter  of  the  rattan.  The 
rattan  is  then  immersed  in  water,  and  the  stem  is  rubbed  vigorously 
with  sand  and  cocoanut  husks  to  remove  dirt  and  foreign  substances. 
It  is  then  bleached  by  means  of  sulphur  fumes,  either  in  the  stem  or 
after  the  peel  and  core  have  been  prepared. 

The  method  of  preparing  the  peel  and  core  is  this:  The  peel,  or 
outer  covering,  is  removed  with  a  heavy  knife;  it  is  then  stripped  to 
selected  thicknesses  and  widths  by  drawing  it  by  hand  thru  two 
knives  set  at  required  distances  apart.  This  peel  is  commercially 
called  cane.  The  core  is  then  stripped  into  as  many  strands  as 
necessary,  depending  upon  the  diameter  of  the  cores  required. 
These  are  rounded  by  drawing  them  thru  a  sheet  of  tin  or  iron 
perforated  with  holes  of  different  diameters.  The  rounded  cores 
are  called  reeds. 

Considerable  rattan  is  still  converted  into  the  finished  products 
by  hand  processes  thru  these  laborious  stages.  Machines  have  been 
perfected  which  do  practically  the  entire  work.  Particularly  have 
the  Germans  brought  this  industry  to  a  perfected  state.  Still  in 
various  sections  of  India,  China,  and  the  Philippines  hand  working 
of  rattan  is  a  thriving  industry;  an  industry  seemingly  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  natives.  The  Philippine  method  of  preparing  the 
raw  material  varies  somewhat  from  the  Chinese  method  in  that  the 
natives  do  not  bleach  the  rattan. 

Reed  may  be  procured  in  large  or  small  hanks,  in  coils  and  in 
bundles,  with  the  cost  determined  by  weight.  Schools  generally 
will  find  it  advantageous  to  buy  it  in  small  hanks,  because  of  ease  in 
handling  and  for  economic  reasons.  Round  reeds  are  shown 
three-fourths  size  in  Fig.  49,  from  No.  o  to  and  including  No.  7, 
also  winding,  half-round  and  flat  reeds.  Winding  reed  is  thin  and 


REED  AND  SPLINT  WEAVING  57 

slightly  rounded  on  one  surface.  Half-round  is  as  its  name  implies. 
Flat  reed  may  be  obtained  in  several  widths  from  *4  m-  to  Y*  in., 
and  if  of  good  quality,  one  surface  will  show  a  decided  bevel  on  the 
edges  and  appear  much  smoother  than  the  other.  Thus  the  right 
side  is  determined.  There  are  many  more  sizes  on  the  market  than 
are  indicated  in  Fig.  49,  but  those  shown  should  supply  adequate,  if 


FIG.    49.      SPECIMENS   OF   REEDS,   THREE-FOURTHS   OF  ACTUAL   SIZE. 

not  liberal  variety  for  the  ordinary  school  shop.  The  cost  of  reed 
cannot  be  given  with  any  degree  of  accuracy  at  present.  The  price 
is  determined  by  the  quantity  bought,  and  by  the  quality  and  size. 
Under  normal  commercial  conditions  round  reeds  will  cost  from 
30  cents  to  $i  per  pound  for  Nos.  I  to  8,  and  flat  reed  about  25 
cents  per  pound. 

Bleaching. — Reed  is  procurable  either  bleached  or  unbleached. 
Ordinarily  it  is  better  to  buy  the  bleached  product.  However,  if- 
the  worker  desires  to  bleach  the  reed,  the  method  for  small  quanti- 
ties is  as  follows :  In  a  tub  two-thirds  full  of  water  dissolve  ten 
pounds  of  chloride  of  lime.  Immerse  the  reed  in  this  solution, 
weighting  it  down  to  insure  covering  it  all,  and  let  it  stand  about 


58  SEAT  WEAVING 

4  hours.  Remove  it  from  the  tub  and  wash  thoroly  in  running 
water.  The  best  way  to  do  this  is  to  lay  the  reed  on  an  inclined 
surface  and  turn  a  forceful  stream  of  water  upon  it.  Chloride  of 
lime  has  a  bad  effect  upon  the  hands  in  that  it  makes  them  sore  and 
tender,  so  care  must  be  taken  to  properly  rinse  the  reed.  A  little 
tallow  rubbed  over  the  hands  will  materially  offset  the  tendency  to 
tenderness,  and  generally  keep  them  in  good  condition. 

Staining. — Bleached  reed  takes  stain  much  more  readily  and 
evenly  than  does  the  natural  or  unbleached.  It  may  be  stained  any 
color  with  prepared  stains,  but  ordinarily  these  leave  the  reed 
muddy  in  appearance  due  primarily  to  the  difficulty  in  brushing  in 
or  wiping  off  the  stain  in  the  recesses  which  weaving  leaves.  Per- 
haps the  best  agent  for  coloring  reed,  and  at  least  a  very  desirable 
one,  especially  after  it  has  been  woven,  is  naptha.  The  preparation 
of  the  stain  and  the  process  of  coloring  is  as  follows:  Obtain  the 
necessary  amount  and  variety  of  colors  ground  in  oil;  mix  the  re- 
quired colors  with  a  little  naptha ;  then  to  determine  the  shade  of 
color  test  with  a  reed.  Reed  absorbs  a  given  amount  of  color, 
therefore  the  shade  will  prove  out  practically  the  same  when  tested 
with  a  small  quantity  of  naptha,  as  when  tried  out  with  a  greater 
amount.  Add  the  required  amount  of  naptha  to  the  solution,  avoid- 
ing thinning  too  much  ;  otherwise  the  color  produced  will  be  "sickly" 
in  appearance.  Five  pounds  of  color  to  about  3  gallons  of  naptha 
will  prove  about  the  right  ratio.  For  instance,  to  obtain  a  rich  nut 
brown  mix  I  pound  of  chrome  yellow  and  5  pounds  of  burnt  umber 
with  a  small  amount  of  naptha.  Stir  until  the  colors  are  liquid, 
then  gradually  add  4  gallons  or  so  of  naptha,  and  stir  well.  The 
intensity  of  the  brown  may  be  varied  by  using  more  or  less  chrome 
yellow. 

Coiled  hanks  of  reed  may  be  immersed  in  the  solution,  immedi- 
ately withdrawn  and  hung  to  drain  dry  above  the  receptacle,  thus 
permitting  surplus  stain  to  drain  back  into  it.  The  stain  may  be 
used  repeatedly,  and  as  it  is  very  volatile  it  should  be  kept  in  a 
tightly  corked  red  can  when  not  in  use.  It  is  also  highly  inflam- 


REED  AND  SPLINT  WEAVING  59 

mable,  and  should  be  used  in  a  room  in  which  there  is  free  circula- 
tion of  air.  If  colors  have  been  mixed  properly  and  thinned  to  the 
right  consistency,  the  reed  will  dry  rapidly  and  the  color  will  be 
sharp  and  clear,  free  from  muddy  effects. 

A  woven  article  such  as  a  basket  or  woven  top  footstool  may  be 
dipped,  or  the  color  poured  over  and  allowed  to  drip  dry.  In  some 
instances  it  is  good  policy  to  wipe  surplus  stain  off  lightly.  Then, 
in  the  case  of  the  footstool  or  similar  project,  if  the  worker  so 
desires  he  may  stain  the  wood  a  darker  shade  than  the  top  with  a 
prepared  stain.  Reed  is  very  effective  without  stain;  many  of  the 
stools  shown  herewith  are  left  natural.  Reed  may  be  shellacked  or 
varnished.  Because  of  its  porosity  it  soils  very  easily  unless  some 
finishing  agent  is  used,  and  a  good  grade  of  elastic  varnish  is  recom- 
mended as  a  finish,  especially  when  the  woven  article  is  subject  to 
severe  use. 

Other  Materials. — Reed  is  not  the  only  good  medium  adapted 
to  weaving,  either  in  correlation  with  wood  or  when  used  alone. 
On  the  stools  illustrated  several  other  materials  have  been  used, 
as  inner  hickory  bark  and  Indian  splints  and  fiber.  Binding  cane, 
rope,  and  even  willow  may  be  utilized  with  success.  Paper  fiber 
was  discussed  in  detail  in  Chapter  V  and  needs  no  elaboration. 
Fig.  60  shows  a  stool  partly  woven  with  this  serviceable  material. 
Sufficient  to  say  that  this  fiber  adapts  itself  admirably  to  almost 
all  work  where  reed  is  commonly  employed,  and  in  many  instances 
is,  commercially,  supplanting  reed. 

Inner  hickory  bark  may  be  obtained  of  manufacturers  of  rustic 
furniture  either  directly  or  indirectly.  They  may  be  obtained  first 
hand  if  hickory  trees  grow  in  the  locality,  thus  enhancing  the  edu- 
cational value  of  weaving.  In  the  spring  or  early  summer  when 
the  sap  is  up  and  the  bark  slips  easily,  a  hickory  tree  may  be  cut 
down,  and  the  rough  outer  bark  shaved  with  a  draw  knife  from 
the  top  of  the  log  the  full  length  of  the  trunk,  leaving  a  surface 
from  8  in.  to  10  in.  wide.  With  a  heavy  knife  split  the  inner  bark 
on  either  side  of  the  shaved  strip;  then  beginning  at  one  end  peel 


60  SEAT  WEAVING 

back  the  inner  bark  the  full  length  of  the  log  This  process  may 
be  repeated  until  the  log  is  stripped.  The  thickness  of  the  inner 
bark  depends  upon  the  size  of  the  tree  and  the  species.  Manu- 
facturers of  hickory  furniture  claim  that  the  pignut  possesses  a 
thicker  bark  than  any  other  species,  the  bark  running  from  *4  in- 
to  Y<\  in.  in  thickness,  and  they  accordingly  use  this  tree  in  pref- 


FIG.   50.      SKETCH  OF   HAND   STRIPPER  AND  GAGE. 

erence  to  others  when  available.  The  rolls  of  thick  inner  bark  are 
allowed  to  dry  for  several  weeks.  Then  they  are  placed  in  water, 
to  remain  until  pliable.  They  are  then  split  into  strips  of  proper 
thickness  and  width.  Factories  use  a  very  simple  motor  driven 
machine  for  making  the  strips,  and  any  manual  training  shop  can 
devise  some  scheme  for  accomplishing  this  work.  These  strips  cut 
in  indefinite  lengths  must  be  made  pliant  by  a  thoro  soaking  just 
previous  to  use.  In  weaving  they  should  be  pressed  close  together 
with  the  fingers  or  with  the  aid  of  a  hammer,  as  there  is  an  appreci- 
able shrinkage  especially  in  their  width  upon  drying.  Such  strips 
are  used  mainly  by  builders  of  rustic  outdoor  and  porch  furniture 
for  the  weaving  of  the  backs,  arms  and  seats  of  chairs,  and  have 
at  present  no  general  use  in  school  shops.  Their  use  here  should 
be  encouraged.  If  bought  of  the  manufacturer  these  strips  cost  40 
cents  per  pound,  dry.  They  are  put  up  in  coils,  and  are  ^4  in.  wide 
and  I/ 1 6  in.  thick.  They  may  be  stripped  into  narrower  widths 
by  means  of  a  hand  stripper,  soon  to  be  described. 

Indian  splints  of  ash  and  hickory  may  be  obtained  from  dealers 


REED  AND  SPLINT  WEAVING  61 

in  the  raw  products.  These  strips  are  cut  from  the  wood  of  the 
tree  in  long  shavings  in  a  manner  similar  to  obtaining  the  inner 
hickory  bark,  and  stripped  into  desired  widths  and  thicknesses. 
One  kind  of  ash  splint  is  made  in  three  weights  or  thicknesses,  fine, 
medium  and  heavy,  and  in  strips  i^  in.  wide.  It  is  sold  in 


FIG.    51.      WORKING   DRAWING   OF   HAND   STRIPPER  AND  GAGE. 


coils  of  200  ft.  each  at  $8.00  for  4,000  ft.  The  strips  are  a  number 
of  feet  in  length.  Hickory  splints  are  sold  in  coils  of  a  dozen 
strands  each.  These  strands  are  8  ft.  to  10  ft.  long  by  ^  in.  wide, 
and  slightly  less  than  1/16  in.  thick.  A  coil  weighs  about  three- 
fourths  of  a  pound  and  costs  5  cents. 

The  ash  splints  particularly,  need  to  be  restripped  to  widths 
needed  by  the  worker.  For  ordinary  purposes  the  hickory  strips 
are  right  for  seating  purposes.  The  stripping  is  done  by  means  of 
a  combination  hand  stripper  and  gage  shown  in  Fig.  50.  A  work- 
ing drawing  of  it  is  shown  in  Fig.  51.  It  is  made  of  maple  pref- 
erably. The  cutters  are  of  a  watch  spring,  pointed  and  sharpened 
as  indicated.  The  end  piece  is  removable  to  permit  changes  of  the 
cutters.  To  use,  merely  hold  the  splint  flat  between  the  right  hand 
and  stripper,  press  the  strand  down  on  the  cutter  and  pull  it  across 
the  cutters  wTith  the  left  hand.  Two  persons  ma)'  do  the  operation 
more  readily  and  speedily  than  one.  It  is  a  good  policy  to  make 
several  of  these  devices  with  cutters  at  different  distances  apart  so 


62  SEAT  WEAVING 

splints  of  various  widths  may  be  cut  without  resort  to  a  change 
of  cutters. 

Splints  need  to  be  soaked  in  water  for  a  number  of  minutes  before 
using.    They  will  be  found  to  be  somewhat  less  pliable  than  inner 


FIG.  52.   ROLLS  OF  SPLINTS,  INNER  BARK,  AND  REED. 

hickory  bark,  and  different  in  color,  varying  from  almost  white  to 
a  light  brown.  Inner  bark  is  a  nut  brown  in  color.  The  splints 
stain  well,  and  may  be  dipped  in  identically  the  same  manner  as 
reeds.  Inner  bark  needs  no  stain ;  in  fact  is  more  pleasing  if  left 
natural. 

Ash  splints  are  extensively  gathered  and  prepared  by  the  Indians 
in  certain  sections  of  Canada  and  the  northern  states.  There  they 
are  woven  into  baskets  of  intricate  design  and  beautiful  colors, 
usually  in  combination  with  other  materials,  as  sweet  grass.  Splints 
may  be  used  for  almost  every  purpose  for  which  flat  reed  is  utilized, 
and  in  numerous  cases  is  superior  and  preferable  to  reed. 

In  Fig.  52  is  shown  in  order,  two  rolls  of  hickory  splints,  a 
bundle  of  inner  hickory  bark  strips,  and  a  small  hank  of  flat  reed. 
These  are  in  the  original  bundles  as  they  come  from  the  dealers. 


CHAPTER  VII 
SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS 

The  discussion  of  the  weaving  processes  to  follow  is  confined; 
in  the  main,  to  stools  or  seats.  Fig.  53  shows  several  stools  different 
in  design  both  in  wood  construction  and  in  weaving.  In  two  in- 
stances it  will  be  noted  that  weaving  is  done  over  a  separate  frame, 
one  being  inserted  between  the  rails,  the  other  fastened  on  top, 
leaving  a  little  projection.  Reference  is  made  to  several  possible 
weaving  designs  and  the  use  of  various  mediums  and  combinations. 
The  possible  combinations  of  materials  are  merely  suggestive  of 
possible  other  ones,  and  the  individual  worker  will  find  that  many 
designs  of  varying  complexity  may  be  worked  out.  An  excellent 
method  for  working  out  possible  designs  is  that  of  using  black  and 
white  paper  strips  y2  in.  in  width.  The  design  will  show  up  very 
clearly  because  of  the  contrast  of  the  black  and  white.  Experi- 
menting with  the  weave  on  the  seat  itself  is  rather  tedious  and 
unsatisfactory.  The  paper  strips  are  an  excellent  means  to  an  end. 

The  stool  top  illustrated  in  Fig.  54  employs  a  simple  over-and- 
under  weave,  utilizing  flat  reed.  The  worker  needs  to  decide  at 
the  outset  on  the  character  of  weave  to  be  used  unless  it  be  of 
unusual  design.  In  this  instance  the  weaver  runs  over  three  and 
under  three  strands,  and  the  wrapping  done  in  a  series  of  three. 
To  begin  the  operation  tack  an  end  of  flat  reed  under  a  short  rail 
at  a  corner,  then  bring  the  strand  out  and  over  the  rail,  across  the 
frame  opening  to  the  opposite  rail,  under  this  rail,  across  under- 
neath the  frame  opening  to  the  bottom  of  the  first  rail.  This  com- 
pletes the  process  once  around.  Repeat  three  times ;  then  wrap  the 
strand  around  the  two  rails,  without  running  it  across  the  top. 
Thus  every  fourth  strand  across  the  top  is  omitted.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  cut  the  strand;  the  wrapping  is  continuous.  Repeat 


64 


SEAT  WEAVING 


these  series  of  three  strands  until  opposite  short  rails  are  entirely 
wrapped.  When  a  strand  runs  out  tack  the  end  with  the  beginning 
of  a  new  one  underneath  a  rail.  Use  a  one  ounce  flat  head  wire 


FIG.  53.      WOVEN  TOP  STOOLS. 

tack  for  this  purpose  if  available,  otherwise  a  one  ounce  cut  tack 
will  do.    The  weaving  proper  now  begins. 

Tack  a  strand  underneath  a  long  rail  at  a  corner,  then  weave 
over  three  strands  and  under  three.     Repeat  in  the  same  manner 


SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS  65 

three  times,  then  weave  over  the  series  which  were  woven  under 
before  and  repeat  alternately  until  the  top  is  entirely  woven.  In 
weaving  the  top  of  this  stool  one  strand  is  woven  in  the  last  series 
of  three,  and  to  balance  it  a  single  strand  is  run  in  on  the  opposite 


FIG.   54.      WEAVING   IN    SERIES  OF  THREE. 


side.  The  ends  of  this  strand  are  not  fastened  in  any  particular 
way  ;  the  weaving  holds  them  in  place.  The  spaces  next  to  each 
short  rail  may  be  filled  in  a  like  manner  if  desired.  Strands  crossing 
underneath  the  frame  must  be  woven  in  some  manner  to  produce 
a  seat  of  maximum  strength.  The  character  of  the  weave  here  is 
not  pertinent;  in  this  instance  it  might  take  the  same  form  as 
the  top. 

Fig.  55  shows  a  stool  top  woven  of  inner  hickory  bark  strips 
employing  what  is  termed  a  diagonal  weave.  Begin  the  wrapping 
on  either  the  short  or  long  rails.  In  this  instance  we  will  assume 


66 


SEAT  WEAVING 


that  the  short  rails  have  been  wrapped ;  then  the  weaving  will 
begin  over  the  long  rails,  and  as  indicated,  at  the  upper  left  hand 
corner.  The  strands  have  been  numbered  to  make  the  description 
clearer.  The  "diagonal"  is  determined  at  the  edges  of  the  upper 


FIG.   55.      STOOL  TOP  OF   INNER    HICKORY    STRIPS. 


rail.     The  method  of  weaving  may  be  expressed  in  the  following 
manner: 

Strand  I — Over  I,  under  2,  over  2,  under  2,  and  so  on. 

Strand  2 — Over  2,  under  2,  over  2,  under  2,  and  so  on. 

Strand  3 — Under  I,  over  2,  under  2,  over  2,  and  so  on. 

Strand  4 — Under  2,  over  2,  under  2,  over  2,  and  so  on. 
This  completes  the  series  or  unit,  and  this  unit  repeats  itself  until 
the  area  is  woven.  For  instance,  the  fifth  weaver  follows  the 
same  course  as  the  first;  the  sixth  weaver  follows  the  same  course 
as  the  second ;  the  seventh  the  same  as  the  third ;  and  so  on.  The 
diagonal  effect  will  remain  the  same  were  the  weaver  to  run  over 


SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS  67 

three  strands  or  more,  providing  the  right  start  is  made  at  the  edges 
of  the  frame.  In  using  inner  hickory  bark  care  must  be  exercised 
to  keep  the  strands  close  together,  for  they  shrink  appreciably  in 
drying.  A  brad  hammer  with  square  face  is  an  excellent  tool  to 
use  for  keeping  the  strands  snugly  together. 


FIG.   56.      STOOL  TOP  OF  FLAT  AND  HALF-ROUND  REEDS. 

A  combination  of  half-round  and  flat  reed  is  illustrated  in  Fig. 
56.  The  half-round  reed  is  wrapped  about  the  frame  first,  and 
in  this  case  every  other  strand  is  wrapped  around  the  opposite  rail, 
crossing  underneath  the  frame  only.  The  diagonal  weave  is  em- 
ployed, and  is  identical  to  the  one  just  described  in  general  effect. 
However,  the  weaver  runs  over  three  and  under  three  in  the  body. 
Note  the  difference  in  the  weave  at  the  edges  of  the  rails.  When 
using  half-round  reed  it  is  necessary  that  every  other  strand  be 


68  SEAT  WEAVING 

wrapped  completely  around  the  rails,  for  otherwise  it  would  prove 
practically  impossible  to  weave  the  area  because  of  the  thickness 
of  the  reed.  A  winding  reed  as  shown  in  Fig.  49  or  binder  cane 
could  be  run  continuously,  inasmuch  as  either  is  relatively  thin. 
Weaving  with  two  kinds  of  reed  will  produce  an  area  of  pleasing 
high  relief. 


FIG.  57.      DIAMOND  DESIGN  IN  FLAT  REED. 

Fig.  57  illustrates  a  stool  woven  in  flat  reed.  The  diagonal 
weave  is  used  running  toward  a  common  center,  and  it  forms  a 
diamond  pattern  or  design.  Begin  wrapping  on  the  long  rails, 
skipping  every  other  strand  on  the  top  as  indicated.  To  weave  this 
pattern  it  is  necessary  to  locate  the  center  of  the  short  rails  and 
the  center  strand  of  those  running  across  the  frame.  In  this  instance 
the  strands  are  even  in  number,  so  the  pattern  does  not  begin  at 
the  actual  center,  but  a  little  to  the  right  or  left  as  the  case  may  be. 
Beginning  at  the  center,  count  by  twos,  over,  under  and  over,  under 
and  so  on  to  determine  the  number  of  strands  to  go  over  or  under 


SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS  69 

at  the  edge  of  the  frame.  The  first  strand  runs  over  one  at  the 
center,  and  over  two  and  under  two  on  either  side.  The  second 
strand  runs  under  three  at  the  center,  and  over  two,  under  two  on 
either  side ;  the  worker  must  again  count  to  the  edge  of  the  frame 


FIG.  58.      DIAMOND  WEAVE  IN  FLAT  AND  HALF-ROUND  REEDS. 

to  determine  the  beginning  weave,  until  the  unit  of  four  strands 
has  been  woven.  Then  the  unit  repeats  itself  at  the  center  and 
at  the  edges  of  the  frame.  Beginning  at  the  right  side  of  the 
illustration  the  weaving  is  as  follows: 

Strand  i — Over  2,  under  2,  over  2,  under  2,  over  2,  under  2,' 
then  over  I,  and  repeat  across  the  other  half  of  the 
frame. 

Strand  2 — Under  i,  over  2,  under  2,  over  2,  under  2,  over  2, 
then  under  3,  and  repeat  across  the  frame. 


70  SEAT  WEAVING 

Strand  3 — Under  2,  over  2,  under  2,  over  2,  under  2,  over  2, 
then  under  i,  and  repeat  across  the  frame. 

Strand  4 — Over  I,  under  2,  over  2,  under  2,  over  2,  under  2, 
then  over  3,  and  repeat  across  the  frame. 


FIG.    59.      WOVEN   DESIGN   IN    FLAT   KEED. 


These  four  strands  comprise  the  unit,  and  it  is  repeated  until  the 
frame  is  entirely  woven.  Complete  half  of  the  frame  first,  then 
weave  the  other  half,  which  is  just  the  reverse  of  the  first  half. 
In  starting  the  weave  for  the  second  half,  strand  i  is  omitted,  for 
it  is  the  center  of  the  frame.  After  the  worker  has  worked  out 
the  unit  according  to  the  method  described,  he  will  find  it  good 
practice  to  write  it  out  graphically  as  above  to  use  in  weaving  the 
seat.  The  unit  above  applies  to  the  particular  stool,  and  will  not 
hold  good  on  seats  utilizing  more  strands,  or  fewer.  Errors  are 
easily  made  in  weaving  this  pattern  for  the  reason  that  strands  need 
watching  at  two  places.  The  seat  of  the  stool  at  the  top  of  the 


SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS 


71 


group  shown  in  Fig.  61  has  a  pattern  identical  with  this  one,  except 
that  the  strands  both  ways  are  close  together. 

The  top  illustrated  in  Fig.  58  is  practically  the  same  in  design 
as  the  one  just  described.     The  weavers  run  over  the  long  rails  in 


FIG.  60.      STOOL  TOP  WOVEN  WITH  FIBER. 

this  instance,  instead  of  the  short  ones,  and  half-round  reed  is  used 
for  the  weavers,  with  flat  reed  utilized  for  the  wrapping.  The 
first  weaver  of  half-round  reed  runs  under  the  center  strand,  and 
the  two  second  weavers  run  over  three  strands  on  either  side  of 
the  first,  at  the  center  of  the  area.  The  combination  of  the  half- 
round  and  flat  reeds  produces  a  seat  both  pleasing  and  serviceable. 
Fig.  59  illustrates  a  stool  top  woven  with  flat  reed  entirely,  in 
a  design  the  very  opposite  in  effect  of  that  shown  in  Fig.  57  ;  instead 
of  evolving  a  diamond  effect  the  diagonals  appear  to  radiate  from  a 
common  center.  The  method  of  weaving  is  identical  to  that  of 
Fig.  57  in  that  the  operation  begins  at  the  center  of  rails  instead 
of  next  to  the  posts.  The  first  \veaver  is  woven  over  the  center 


72  SEAT  WEAVING 

strand  at  the  center  of  the  top,  and  the  second  weaver,  on  either 
side,  is  woven  over  three  strands,  at  the  center.  These  three 
weavers  practically  determine  the  design  and  effect  produced.  An 
error  of  no  vital  importance  exists  in  this  particular  stool  top. 
It  will  merely  emphasize  the  fact  that  particular  care  is  necessary 
to  avoid  mistakes. 

Fiber  is  the  material  used  for  the  top  of  the  stool  shown  in  Fig. 
60.  The  diagonal  weave  is  employed.  The  process  of  weaving 
has  been  explained  and  needs  no  further  discussion.  The  fiber  is 
the  same  as  that  discussed  in  Chapter  V.  It  adapts  itself  admirably 
to  this  form  of  weaving,  and  when  properly  finished  with  varnish 
makes  a  serviceable  seat,  pleasing  in  every  particular.  The  strands 
which  run  across  the  frame  in  the  wrapping  must  be  some  distance 
apart,  otherwise  weaving  would  prove  impossible.  The  thickness 
of  the  strands  preclude  their  being  wrapped  close  together  as  in  the 
case  of  thin  materials.  In  this  case  a  space  equal  to  the  width  of 
three  strands  is  left.  The  weaver  runs  over  two  and  under  two 
strands  in  the  body. 

While  reeds  and  inner  hickory  bark  shrink  in  drying,  they  will 
shrink  mostly  in  width  and  not  much  in  length.  Therefore  it  is 
necessary  to  pull  all  strands,  both  in  wrapping  and  in  weaving, 
rather  tight  at  all  times.  Only  by  doing  this  will  the  worker  be 
assured  of  an  ultimately  taut  seat.  This  applies  also  to  the  Indian 
splints  now  to  be  discussed.  As  fiber  is  woven  practically  dry  it 
needs  to  be  pulled  particularly  tight. 

Indian  Splints. — Fig.  61  shows  a  group  of  stools  and  a  waste 
basket  constructed  in  eighth  grade  shops.  The  tops  of  the  stools 
and  the  panels  of  the  basket  are  woven  of  hickory  splints  l/2  in. 
in  width.  A  variety  of  patterns  is  shown,  and  these  will  suggest 
other  ones.  One  of  the  stools  has  turned  posts  and  the  splints  are 
carried  over  the  sides  of  the  rails.  With  slight  modification  of  the 
structure,  the  sides  might  be  woven  in  a  similar  manner  to  the  top. 
The  panels  of  the  basket  were  woven  over  a  separate  frame,  then 
they  were  cut  to  fit  the  frames  of  the  basket,  and  finally  tacked  on 


SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS  73 

the  frames.  The  edges  of  the  splints  were  covered  with  thin  wood 
strips  held  in  place  with  brads.  These  panels  should  be  inserted 
and  secured  while  damp  to  assure  proper  tautness,  and  to  prevent 


FIG.   61.      GROUP  OF   STOOLS.      TOPS  WOVEN   WITH   INDIAN   SPLINTS. 

as  far  as  possible  splitting  the  ends  of  the  splints  in  tacking  them 
to  the  frames. 

It  is  not  advisable  to  tack  splints  onto  seat  frames,  either  as  an 
insert  or  slip  seat,  or  on  the  rails  of  the  structure  itself.    The  splints 


74 


SEAT  WEAVING 


FIG.  62.    METHOD  OF  FASTENING  ONE  STRAND 
TO   ANOTHER. 


split  easily  when  tacked,  the  strands  are  bound  to  pull  loose,  and 
the  seats  break  down  under  continued  use.  On  such  articles  as 
waste  baskets,  boxes,  screens  and  the  like,  tacking  the  panels  in 
place  is  necessary  and  proper,  for  no  appreciable  wear  or  service 

comes  to  them.  The 
weaving  on  seats  needs 
to  be  continuous  over  and 
under  the  frame. 

When  a  strand  of 
usual  length  has  been 
wrapped  about  the  rails 
of  the  seat  a  second 
strand  needs  to  be  added 

to  continue  the  wrapping.  Tacking  the  strands  to  the  under  side  of 
the  rails,  as  in  the  case  of  reeds,  cannot  be  resorted  to  with  splints 
for  the  reasons  just  explained.  Therefore  some  method  of  fastening 
strands  to  each  other  is  necessary.  Fig.  62  is  a  freehand  sketch 
showing  a  good  method.  As  indicated,  a  small  rectangular  piece 
is  cut  out  of  the  used  strand  at  B, 
one  inch  from  the  end.  A  chisel 
or  chip  carving  knife  is  good  for 
the  purpose.  Cut  across  the  grain 
of  the  wood  first  to  avoid  splitting 
the  splint.  The  end  of  the  new 
strand  A  is  notched  as  shown  an 
inch  back  from  the  end,  and  is 

then  inserted  thru  B  and  the  two  strands  thus  secured.  All  sub- 
sequent strands  are  secured  in  the  same  manner. 

Another  method  which  works  well  and  involves  less  labor  than 
the  one  just  described  is  that  of  fastening  the  strands  together  with 
metal  staples.  Any  type  of  small  hand  stapler  will  accomplish  the 
result.  The  splints  must  be  very  pliable  when  the  staple  is  inserted 
and  clinched,  for  if  they  are  not,  the  splints  are  certain  to  split. 
Clips  used  in  Venetian  ironwork  are  excellent  for  this  purpose  also. 


FIG.    63.     METHOD  OF   OVERLAPPING 
WEAVERS. 


SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS 


7f> 


It  should  be  understood,  for  reasons  very  obvious,  that  these  fasten- 
ings are  made  underneath  the  frame. 

After  the  wrapping  of  the  opposite  rails  is  completed,  the  weav- 
ing is  begun.     The  use  of  tacks  here  is  also  unnecessary  and  is  in- 


FIG.   64.      WOVEN  DESIGN   IN  HICKORY   SPLINTS. 

advisable.  Fasten  a  new  strand  by  overlapping  the  end  of  the  old 
one  for  several  inches  either  on  top  or  underneath  the  frame.  The 
ends  of  each  will  be  hidden  under  cross  strands  or  spokes.  Fig.  63 
is  a  sketch  illustrating  the  method  of  overlapping.  A  A  shows 
strands  running  over  the  weavers,  and  BB  strands  running  under. 
D  is  the  end  of  the  old  or  used  strand,  and  C  one  end  of  the  new 
one.  C  is  pulled  until  the  end  is  hidden  under  A.  It  is  advisable 
to  overlap  the  distance  of  a  number  of  strands  and  not  merely  two 
as  the  sketch  indicates.  The  sketch  merely  shows  the  method. 
The  end  of  the  strand  which  completes  the  weaving  of  the  seat  is 
secured  underneath  the  frame  by  weaving  for  a  short  distance  in 
the  usual  manner. 


76  SEAT  WEAVING 

Fig.  64  is  merely  Fig.  59  repeated  as  far  as  the  weaving  processes 
are  concerned.  In  this  instance  hickory  splints  are  used,  and  the 
rails  are  wrapped  continuously  across  the  top.  Note  the  different 
effects  produced,  by  comparing  the  two  figures. 

Fig.  65  shows  a  rather  unusual  weave.  The  effect  is  that  of  a 
number  of  diamond  areas  over  the  entire  surface,  one  of  which  is 


FIG.    65.      WOVEN   DESIGN.      DIAMOND    EFFECT. 

marked  to  make  the  unit  or  design  evident.  This  design  need  not 
begin  at  the  center,  but  may  begin  at  the  edge  of  the  frame  as  in 
regular  diagonal  weaving  shown  in  Fig.  55.  The  strands  com- 
prising the  unit  are  numbered  for  convenience.  The  process  of 
weaving  is  as  follows : 

Strand  I — Under  I,  over    2,  under  I,  over    2,  and  so  on. 

Strand  2 — Over    2,  under  3,  over    3,  under  3,  and  so  on. 

Strand  3 — Over     i,  under  2,  over     i,  under  2,  and  so  on. 

Strand  4 — Under  2,  over    3,  under  3,  over     3,  and  so  on. 


SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS  77 

Strand  5 — Under  i,  over  2,  under  I,  over  2,  and  so  on. 
Strand  6 — Under  2,  over  3,  under  3,  over  3,  and  so  on. 
Strand  7 — Over  i,  under  2,  over  i,  under  2,  and  so  on. 
Strand  8 — Over  2,  under  3,  over  3,  under  3,  and  so  on. 
Strand  9 — Under  I,  over  2,  under  I,  over  2,  and  so  on. 
Nine  strands  comprise  the  unit.  One  half  of  the  unit  from 


FIG.   66.      DESIGN   OF  INDIAN   SPLINTS. 

strand  5  is  a  repetition  of  the  first  half  except  that  the  order  is 
reversed.  Thus  strands  4  and  6,  3  and  7,  2  and  8,  and  I  and  9 
are  identical  in  weave.  Repeat  the  unit  until  the  seat  is  completed. 
The  design  produced  in  Fig.  66  is  obtained  by  skipping  certain 
strands  for  rather  unusual  distances.  This  may  be  done  in  instances 
where  the  pattern  is  begun  at  the  center  of  the  area.  No  strand 
should  be  omitted  its  entire  length  however.  Any  number  of 
designs  may  be  worked  out,  limited  only  by  the  patience  and  in- 
genuity of  the  individual  worker. 


78 


SEAT  WEAVING 


A  design  tor  a  seat  or  panel  not  illustrated  herein,  but  which  is 
particularly  pleasing  in  its  general  effect,  is  produced  by  a  unit  of 
six  strands  repeated  indefinitely.  The  weaving  is  started  as  in  the 
diagonal  weave  and  the  process  may  be  indicated  as  follows: 


FIG.   67.      METHOD  OF  WEAVING   SPLINTS. 

Strand  I — Over     i,  under  3,  over    3,  under  3,  and  so  on. 

Strand  2 — Over    2,  under  3,  over     3,  under  3,  and  so  on. 

Strand  3 — Over     3,  under  3,  over    3,  under  3,  and  so  on. 

Strand  4 — Under  i,  over     3,  under  3,  over    3,  and  so  on. 

Strand  5 — Under  2,  over     3,  under  3,  over    3,  and  so  on. 

Strand  6 — Under  3,  over    3,  under  3,  over    3,  and  so  on. 

The  isometric  sketch  of  a  stool,  Fig.  67,  shows  the  structure 
partly  woven.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  splints  or  reeds  run  both 
ways  underneath  the  frame  as  they  do  on  top.  As  indicated  pre- 


SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS 


79 


viously  these  strands  underneath  should  be  woven  in  some  manner 

to  assure  a  seat  of  maximum  strength  for  the  material  used.     The 

diagonal  weave  was  arbitrarily  chosen  to  illustrate  the  method  of 

weaving  the  seat  frame.     The  weaving  underneath  is  not  shown 

on  the  sketch.     If  the  rails  on  any 

seat  are  run  flush  with  the  inside 

corners  of   the   posts   the   woven 

strands  will  fill  the  entire  space. 

On  the  other  hand,   if   they  are 

permitted    an   offset,    a   series   of 

open  spaces  are  left  as  shown  on 

the   first   woven   seat   illustrated. 

The  sketch  shows  the  rails  flush 

with  the  inner  corner  of  the  posts. 

A  Rustic  Chair. — The  type  of 
chair  which  is  particularly  adapt- 
ed to  splint  weaving  is  illustrated 
in  Fig.  68.  The  construction  is 
simple,  and  the  necessary  bending 
of  pieces  is  readily  done  if  a  suit- 
able steaming  chest  is  available 
in  the  shop.  Such  a  chest  may 
be  made  of  a  6  in.  gas  pipe  cut 

the  required  length  and  threaded  at  both  ends.  Cap  one  end  per- 
manently. Have  the  cap  for  the  other  end  removable,  with  a  gasket 
in  it  to  prevent  the  escape  of  steam,  and  a  suitable  handle  attached 
for  ease  in  removing.  Set  the  pipe  upon  a  standard,  then  make  the 
necessary  steam  connections  at  the  closed  end  and  the  drain  at  the 
other.  Place  the  wood  in  the  chest,  screw  on  the  cap,  and  turn  on 
the  steam.  The  length  of  time  the  wood  should  remain  in  the' 
steam  depends  upon  the  wood  and  the  size  of  the  piece. 

Suitable  wood  forms  are  easily  made  for  bending  stock.  Their 
construction  needs  no  elaboration.  When  the  pieces  are  removed 
from  the  chest,  clamp  them  over  the  forms  immediately,  and  allow 


FIG.   68.    PORCH  CHAIR  WITH  BACK 
AND  SEAT  WOVEN  WITH  SPLINTS. 


80  SEAT  WEAVING 

them  to  remain  clamped  in  this  manner  for  several  days  in  a  dry, 
warm  room.  If  steam  coils  or  hot  air  registers  are  handy  the  forms 
may  be  placed  over  or  near  them  to  expedite  the  drying. 

Rock  elm  is  a  good  material  from  which  to  construct  such  a  chair. 
The  wood  may  be  procured  in  the  round,  of  different  diameters. 
The  tenons  on  the  straight  pieces  may  be  made  on  the  wood  lathe  ; 
on  the  curved  ones  with  spokeshave  or  draw  knife.  The  short 
thin  pieces  on  the  sides  should  be  fully  housed.  On  a  chair  of  this 
description  it  is  good  policy  to  assemble  the  sides  first.  Finish  both 
the  frame  and  the  splints  with  a  good  paint  composed  of  white  lead 
and  oil. 

Another  excellent  material  for  chairs  of  similar  design  and  pur- 
pose is  hickory.  It  is  the  best  material  for  the  construction  of 
furniture  for  lawns  and  porches  where  weathering  is  constant,  and 
it  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  splint  and  inner  bark  weaving.  If  a 
person  lives  in  the  right  locality  he  may  gather  young  second  growth 
hickory  saplings  in  the  fall.  An  instructor  could  very  readily  take 
his  classes  out  on  such  a  wood-gathering  expedition.  The  educa- 
tional gain  in  gathering  raw  materials  to  be  fashioned  into  finished 
articles  of  use  and  beauty  will  justify  all  efforts.  In  the  fall  the 
bark  of  the  saplings  will  adhere  firmly  to  the  wood.  Trim  and 
assort  the  different  pieces  in  accordance  with  plans,  cut  them  into 
approximate  lengths,  and  steam  and  bend  those  desired.  Sand  each 
piece  smooth,  and  proceed  to  construct  the  chair  according  to  pre- 
vious plans.  Glue  and  nail  all  important  joints  to  prevent  any  possi- 
bility of  separation  under  any  weather  condition.  No  finish  of  any 
description  is  necessary  or  desired  on  hickory  furniture.  Weathering 
will  naturally  darken  both  frame  and  splints,  but  will  not  detract 
in  any  way  from  the  rugged,  pleasing  appearance  of  the  article. 

Sassafras  is  a  very  desirable  wood  for  rustic  furniture,  and  well 
adapted  to  splint  weaving.  The  methods  of  gathering  and  finishing 
are  identical  to  hickory.  It  is  much  lighter  in  weight  than  hickory, 
but  is  quite  as  serviceable.  No  finishing  agent  is  necessary,  altho  the 
worker  may  oil  or  varnish  it  at  his  discretion. 


SEATS  OF  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS  81 

A  Woven  Table. — The  table  illustrated  in  Fig.  69  is  a  com- 
mercial product,  evidenced  by  the  machine  turned  posts  and  cross- 
pieces.  In  school  shops  the  posts  may  be  made  of  rock  elm  rounds 
previously  mentioned,  or  square  tapered,  and  the  rails  of  rounds 
or  squares.  The  posts  mortise  in  a  frame  underneath  the  top.  The 
framework  of  the  top  is  made  of  y%  in.  dowel  rods  housed  in  a 
6  in.  round  piece  of  ^4  m-  wood,  and  radiating  from  it  equal 
distances  apart.  The  number  of  spokes  needs  to  be  odd,  and  cut 
to  even  lengths.  The  weaving  is  done  with  about  a  No.  6  reed, 
running  over  one,  under  two,  over  one,  under  two,  and  so  on.  The 
odd  spoke  permits  the  weaver  to  run  continuously  without  skipping 
a  spoke.  A  new  strand  is  begun  underneath  the  spoke  where  the 
last  strand  ends.  When  the  top  has  been  woven  to  the  ends  of  the 
spokes  a  strip  of  braided  No.  2  reed  is  nailed  to  each  spoke  with 
a  round  head,  galvanized  nail.  The  braid  is  made  in  the  usual 
manner,  as  in  basketry,  with  three  series  of  strands  of  four  each. 
When  the  shelf  has  been  constructed  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
top,  and  both  top  and  shelf  have  been  fastened  in  their  respective 
places,  the  table  may  be  stained  with  naptha  by  pouring  the  stain 
over  it.  This  method  has  been  described  in  Chapter  VI.  Com- 
mercially, such  articles  are  sized  before  staining.  However,  staining 
direct  is  the  proper  procedure  in  school  shops.  Use  no  shellac  if 
the  table  is  to  be  used  on  the  porch  or  in  the  open  where  exposed 
to  the  weather. 

Willows. — Willows  are  imported  normally  from  Germany, 
Holland,  Belgium  and  France.  Because  of  their  scarcity  and 
demand  for  them,  willow  growing  is  fast  becoming  a  thriving 
industry  in  the  United  States.  Many  experimental  farms  are  under 
the  direct  supervision  of  the  federal  government.  These  have 
demonstrated  that  willows  can  be  grown  to  advantage  in  many 
localities  in  this  country.  In  many  instances  manufacturers  have 
abandoned  rattan  in  favor  of  willows  for  certain  articles  of  fur- 
niture where  rattan  was  formerly  used  exclusively.  Willow  pos- 


82 


SEAT  WEAVING 


sesses  all  the  attributes  necessary  for  such  furniture,  being  light  in 

weight,  durable,  and  strong;  and  it  takes  a  good  finish. 

Willow  stems  or  rods  are  cut  when  several  feet  long.    They  are 

then  soaked  in  water  and  the  outer  bark  peeled.  The  rods  are  then 
sorted,  bundled  and  shipped  to  the 
dealer  or  user.  The  peeling  is  gen- 
erally accomplished  by  hand  with  a 
peculiarly  forked  stick  or  rod.  Com- 
mercially there  are  what  are  termed 
dry  peeled  rods  and  steam  peeled 
rods,  with  the  former  in  favor  for 
furniture  of  the  better  class.  They 
sell  for  from  6  cents  to  15  cents  per 
pound,  depending  on  quality,  length 
and  method  of  peeling.  WillowT 
stems  are  used  extensively  in  bas- 
ketry, and  for  porch  and  summer 
furniture.  They  could  be  used  ef- 
fectively on  such  a  table  as  shown 
in  Fig.  69,  but  cannot  generally  be 

utilized  advantageously  in  school  shops  for  seating  purposes  only. 

However,  they  have  very  definite  uses  on  some  structures,  and  an 

adequate  supply  should  be  kept  on  hand  for  use  when  opportunity 

offers. 


FIG.  69.     A  WOVEN  CENTER  TABLE. 


Within  the  confines  of  this  book  a  variety  of  materials  has  been 
suggested,  and  many  demonstrated,  for  seat  weaving  of  various 
kinds  and  for  weaving  on  structures  other  than  seats.  These  will 
ordinarily  afford  sufficient  latitude  for  classes  of  different  grade  in 
the  school  shops,  but  the  instructor  or  worker  should  not  infer  that 
those  indicated  include  all.  Experience  in  weaving  with  these 
materials  will  suggest  new  mediums  and  combinations  without 


SEATS  OP  REEDS  AND  SPLINTS 


83 


number,  and  experimentation  with  new  materials  by  both  instructor 
and  pupil  should  be  encouraged. 


SUGGESTIVE  PROJECTS. 


84  SEAT  WEAVING 

The  following  firms  and  individuals  can  furnish  the  various 
weaving  materials  indicated.  They  may  undoubtedly  be  procured 
locally  in  the  larger  cities. 

CANE 

LUSSKY,  WHITE  AND  COOLIDGE Chicago,     111. 

AMERICAN  REED  AND  RATTAN  MFG.  CO.  .Brooklyn,    N.    Y. 

HOOVER  BROS Kansas  City,  Mo. 

L.  s.  DRAKE,  INC West    Newton,    Mass. 

CANE  WEBRIXG 

LUSSKY,  WHITE  AND  COOLIDGE Chicago,     111. 

RESTMOER  MFG.  co Vancouver,   B.   C. 

FIBER 

THE  FIBER  GRAND  co Grand  Rapids,   Mich. 

j.  L.  HAMMET  co -. Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

RUSH 

L.  s.  DRAKE,  INC West   Newton,   Mass. 

GUSTAV  STICKLEY Eastwood,  N.  Y. 

INDIAN  SPLINTS 

c.  N.  SABA  AND  co 84  Wellington  St.  West, 

Toronto,   Ontario. 
DAVID  HARDIN Patesville,  Ky. 

REEDS 

LUSSKY,  WHITE  AND  COOLIDGE Chicago,    111. 

AMERICAN  REED  AND  RATTAN  MFG.  CO.  .Brooklyn,    N.    Y. 

j.  L.  HAMMET  co Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

INNER  HICKORY  BARK 
THE  OLD  HICKORY  CHAIR  co Martinsville,   Ind. 


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accompanied  by  suggestions  for  rearrangements  and  the  modeling  of  parts.  The 
text  discusses  and  illustrates  principles  of  design  as  applied  to  furniture.  Should  be 
in  the  hands  of  every  teacher  of  cabinet  making  and  design.  $1.00. 

PROBLEMS  IN  FARM  WOODWORK.  By  Blackburn.  A  book  of  working  draw- 
ings of  100  practical  problems  relating  to  agriculture  and  farm  life.  Each  problem  is 
accompanied  by  text  treating  of  "Purpose,"  "Material,"  "Bill  of  Stock,"  "Tools," 
"Directions,"  and  "Assembly."  Of  special  value  to  the  pupil  and  teacher  of  agri- 
culture and  manual  arts  in  rural  schools,  and  to  the  boy  on  the  farm.  $1.00. 


PROBLEMS  IN  FURNITURE  MAKING.  By  Crawshaw.  Contains  43  full-page 
working  drawings  of  articles  of  furniture.  In  addition  to  the  working  drawings,  there 
is  a  perspective  sketch  of  each  article  completed.  There  are  36  pages  of  text  giving 
notes  on  the  construction  of  each  project,  chapters  on  the  "Design"  and  "Construc- 
tion" of  furniture,  and  one  on  "Finishes."  The  last  chapter  describes  15  methods  of 
wood  finishing,  all  adapted  for  use  on  furniture.  $1.00. 

PROBLEMS  IN  WOODWORKING.  By  Murray.  A  collection  of  40  plates  of 
working  drawings  of  problems  in  bench  work  that  have  been  successfully  worked  out 
by  boys  in  grades  seven  to  nine,  inclusive.  75  cents. 

PROBLEMS  IN  WOOD-TURNING.  By  Crawshaw.  Contains  25  full-page  plates 
of  working  drawings  covering  spindle,  faceplate,  and  chuck  turning.  It  gives  the 
mathematical  basis  for  the  cuts  used  in  turning.  A  valuable  textbook  for  students' 
use.  80  cents. 

WORKSHOP  NOTE-BOOK—WOODWORKING.  By  Greene.  A  note-book 
which  furnishes  a  few  general  and  extremely  important  directions  about  tools  and 
processes,  and  provides  space  for  additional  notes  and  working  drawings.  It  is 
essentially  a  collection  of  helps,  ideas,  hints,  suggestions,  questions,  facts,  illustra- 
tions, etc.  It  is  full  of  suggestions;  shows  a  keen  insight  into  subject-matter  and 
teaching  methods,  and  is  an  effective  teaching  tool.  15  cents. 

SHOP  PROBLEMS.  By  Siepert.  Portfolios  of  plates— working  drawings  of  proj- 
ects printed  on  tracing  paper  and  adapted  to  be  blue-printed  for  students'  use.  The 
plates  are  taken  from  the  Shop  Notes  and  Problems  department  of  the  Manual 
Training  Magazine.  The  problems  include  a  wide  variety  of  good  design  and  adapted 
for  shop  use.  Series  I,  II,  III  and  IV  have  been  published.  Price  per  series,  35  cents. 

GRAMMAR  GRADE  PROBLEMS  IN  MECHANICAL  DRAWING.  By  Bennett. 
A  remarkably  simple  and  carefully  graded  textbook  on  the  fundamentals  of  mechan- 
ical drawing  for  the  use  of  students  in  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades.  It  combines 
an  abundance  of  text  and  simple  problems,  accompanied  by  notes  and  directions. 
Its  use  insures  the  early  formation  of  correct  habits  of  technique  and  makes  possible 
the  development  of  a  standard  in  grammar  grade  mechanical  drawing  parallel  with 
woodworking.  Abundantly  and  well  illustrated.  38  cents. 

PROBLEMS  IN  MECHANICAL  DRAWING.  By  Bennett.  A  students'  textbook 
consisting  of  80  plates  of  problems  classified  into  groups  according  to  principle,  and 
arranged  according  to  difficulty  of  solution.  Each  problem  is  given  unsolved  and, 
therefore,  in  proper  form  to  hand  to  the  pupil  for  solution.  The  best  collection  of 
problems  for  first-year  high-school  students  available.  75  cents. 

MANUAL   TRAINING   TOYS   FOR   THE    BOYS'    WORKSHOP.     By   Moore. 

A  popular  boys'  book.  It  contains  35  pages  of  full-page  plates  of  working  drawings 
illustrating  42  projects.  All  the  projects  are  overflowing  with  "boy"  interest,  and  are 
well  adapted  to  the  upper  grades  of  the  elementary  school.  The  text  treats  of  tools 
and  tool  processes,  and  gives  instructions  for  making  each  project.  $1.00. 

KITECRAFT  AND  KITE  TOURNAMENTS.  By  Miller.  Authoritative  and  com- 
prehensive. The  book  deals  with  the  construction  and  flying  of  all  kinds  of  kites,  and 
the  making  and  using  of  kite  accessories.  Also  aeroplanes,  gliders,  propellers,  motors, 
etc.  Abundantly  illustrated  and  attractively  bound.  $1.00. 

BIRD  HOUSES  BOYS  CAN  BUILD.  By  Siepert.  A  book  of  rare  interest  to  boys. 
It  is  written  in  the  boy  spirit  and  combines  the  charm  of  nature  with  the  allurements 
of  continuation  work  in  wood.  It  illustrates  hundreds  of  bird  houses  and  shows  work- 
ing drawings  of  various  designs;  also  feeders,  shelters,  sparrow  traps,  and  other  bird 
accessories.  The  common  house  nesting  birds  are  pictured  and  described  with  in- 
formation regarding  houses,  foods,  etc.,  suitable  for  each.  A  pleasing  and  practical 
book  for  wide-awake  boys.  Price,  50  cents. 

LEATHER  WORK.  By  Mickel.  A  manual  on  art  leather  work  for  students,  teach- 
ers and  craft  workers.  It  gives  detailed  descriptions  of  the  various  processes  of  work- 
ing, treating  of  flat  modeling,  embossing  or  repousse,  carved  leather  and  cut  work.  It 
is  well  illustrated  with  photographs  of  finished  work  and  working  drawings  of  twenty 
useful  and  beautiful  articles  suitable  for  school  and  home  work.  75  cents. 

BOOKS  ON  THE  MANUAL  ARTS.  A  bibliography  listing  and  describing  400  books 
mailed  free. 


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